Excel Running Slow or Not Responding? Here’s How to Fix Lag and Corrupted Excel Files Easily
Whether it’s about personal budgeting or academic research, Excel has been the go-to software for data collection and analysis. Therefore, it’s a cause for concern when your Excel experiences performance issues, making it slow. Due to Excel running slow, it can impact your productivity when trying to work on large datasets. This article will provide the common performance issues Excel faces, why they happen, and how you can fix them.
Part 1. Common Excel Performance and File Issues
Sometimes Excel runs slowly and lags when opening files or performing certain operations. There are several possible reasons for the Excel slow issue, which are given in the following:
- Complex Formatting: If there is an overuse of conditional formatting across large data ranges, it can slow down file responsiveness and create rendering issues.
- Excessive Formulas: In case you are using complex formulas in the Excel sheet, these formulas can slow down the workbook or cause it to freeze.
- Large File Size: Companies usually work with large workbooks with extensive data and multiple sheets, which can become heavy and slow down Excel.
- Automatic Calculations: Excel is set to automatically recalculate whenever changes are made, and due to complex formulas, you’ll face the Excel slow issue.
- Volatile Functions: Those who use excessive volatile functions, like VLOOKUP, can slow down Excel, especially when working with large datasets.
Part 2. Effective Ways to Fix Excel Running Slow or Opening Corrupted Files
Now that we understand the common reasons why Excel running slow, you can dive into the following efficient solutions on how to fix them:
Way 1. Optimize Excel Settings for Speed
One of the most effective ways to fix a slow-running Excel file is by adjusting the program’s settings to improve its performance. This includes different processes, like disabling hardware graphics acceleration, turning off unnecessary add-ins, or changing the calculation mode from automatic to manual. Now, follow the given steps and learn how to alter the calculation settings:
Step 1. Open an Excel spreadsheet and click the “Options” choice from the extended “More” section on the main interface of the software.
Step 2. Access the “Formulas” tab, head to the “Calculation Options” section, and check the “Manual” choice under “Workbook Calculations.” Once that’s done, hit the “OK” button and try reopening the corrupted spreadsheet.
Way 2. Repair Excel from the Microsoft Office Suite
When you face the Excel slow issue, the issue may lie within the Office installation rather than the individual file. In such cases, repairing Excel via the Microsoft Office suite can resolve deeper program-level issues. The suite provides a repair feature that scans for corrupted files within the Office installation and fixes them, which is presented as follows:
Step 1. Head to the “Control Panel,” access the “Programs and Features” option, and right-click the “Microsoft Office.” From the drop-down menu, choose the “Change” option to reveal a dialogue box.
Step 2. On the opened box, choose the “Quick Repair” option, and hit “Repair.”
Way 3. Use Excel’s Built-in Open and Repair Tool
If a specific workbook is not opening or appears to be corrupted, Excel offers a built-in repair feature designed to recover the file. This easily repairs any issues, such as corrupted cells, formulas, or formatting, within seconds. It can help retrieve the information and restore the file to a usable state with great efficiency. Now, let’s learn how this fix can be performed using the following steps:
Step 1. In the “Open” section of the Excel tool, press the “Browse” choice under the “Other Locations” section.
Step 2. When a dialogue box appears, choose the unresponsive Excel file, and click the arrow down button besides “Open.” From the drop-down menu, click the “Open and Repair” option.
Step 3. Upon doing so, a “Microsoft Excel” repair dialogue opens, so press the “Repair” button to proceed.
Way 4. Try Online Excel File Repair with Repairit Online
One of the best online ways you can fix corrupted Excel files is by using the Repairit Online tool, which can handle all types of damage scenarios. With its full-automatic file repair technology, it can quickly scan for damaged areas. It repairs them without damaging the original quality or integrity of the Excel file. This online tool is able to address any unresponsiveness in various Excel versions with ease.
If you want to fix large corrupted ZIP files, this tool can do that as well, without exception to file size and number limit. You can easily repair more than 3 files in various formats and achieve a fully functional Excel file. Before you download the file, this tool allows users to preview the content to ensure nothing is missing. Let’s learn how to perform the repair process online with the following easy steps:
Step 1. Open Repairit Online
Access the “Online File Repair” tool on your browser and click the “Add” button in the “Upload your Corrupted Document Files Here to Repair Them” box.
Step 2. Upload a Corrupted Excel File and Repair
On the next screen, press “Add Files” or drag and drop the corrupted Excel files to begin the process by pressing the “Repair” button.
Step 3. Preview and Download the Repaired File
When the Excel file is repaired, press the “Preview” icon next to the file to review its content, and hit “Download All” to save it.
Way 5. Use Wondershare Repairit (Desktop Software) for Full Excel Repair
Sometimes, the Excel software might lack the necessary features to repair the corrupted Excel files ; that’s why using Repairit software is your best bet. This advanced file repair software can fix any Excel error or unresponsiveness and restore all its components. Moreover, it can repair all kinds of Excel formats, such as .xlsx, .xlsm, .xltx, and more, while ensuring data integrity.
With a 95.2% repair success rate, you can rest assured that all the corrupted or missing areas of the file will be repaired safely. Not only that, you can repair any kind of Microsoft file on any version ranging from 2003 to Office 365 in a seamless manner. Repairit can also fix different file formats, such as PDF, Word, and PowerPoint, with ease.
Top Features
- Advanced Repair: This software can effortlessly fix corrupted Excel workbooks and formulas with 3 easy steps.
- Preview Mode: With the repair process completion, users can preview all the repair contents of the Excel file before downloading it.
- Batch Repair: By enabling the batch repair option, you can fix a ZIP file larger than 1GB in excellent quality.
- Missing Data: If the Excel file contains any missing fragments, Repairit can also fix them as it fills in these blank areas efficiently.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Repair the Corrupted Excel File
Now, let’s dive into the following comprehensive steps on how Repairit can fix every component of the corrupted Excel file:
Step 1. Access Document Repair on Repairit Software
When the software is downloaded and installed, open its main window, and click the “More Types Repair” tab. Now, under the “Corrupted File Repair” section, press the “Start” button on the “Document Repair” box.
Step 2. Start the Repair Process
Next, click “+ Add,” import unresponsive Excel files, and hit the “Repair” button to initiate the process.
Step 3. Review the Content and Save
After the process is completed, press “Preview,” go through the spreadsheet, and click “Save” when satisfied.
Part 3. Preventing Excel File Corruption and Lag: Best Practices
After learning about how to fix the corrupted Excel files, it is also important to know how to prevent this in the future:
- You should break large datasets into smaller data sheets, which have no unused rows, columns, or sheets.
- It’s recommended to use minimal formatting and avoid excessive use of styles, conditional formatting, or merged cells, as they make the file large.
- Users should disable unused Excel and COM add-ins to ensure they don’t cause instability or infinite loops.
- Whenever you create a spreadsheet, always save your files regularly and use the AutoRecover feature.
- By regularly updating Excel, you can resolve the performance issues or bug infestations.
Conclusion
This article explored the various reasons behind the “Excel running slow” issue and provided the top 5 effective repair solutions. Along with that, to prevent future corruption, users looked at various points on what precautions to take. Lastly, the most efficient method to recognize and repair the corrupted Excel file is the Repairit software. This article provided comprehensive steps for both the online and offline versions of this file repair tool.
