7 Ways to Open Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode

Wondering how to open Excel in safe mode? Keep reading to learn all possible methods for triggering Excel safe mode.

Encountering hiccups in your Excel experience is not uncommon. Imagine a scenario where a workbook stubbornly refuses to open, an Excel add-in behaves unexpectedly, or, worse, Excel crashes when handling a specific workbook loaded with third-party add-ins.

Whether you’re grappling with these challenges or any other Excel-related issues, the safe mode feature emerges as a valuable ally. In this user-friendly Excel tutorial, I’ll walk you through various seamless approaches to set your Excel application in safe mode, empowering you with troubleshooting capabilities for a smoother experience.

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What Is Excel Safe Mode?

Excel Safe Mode is a troubleshooting feature designed to help you identify and resolve issues within Microsoft Excel. When launched in Safe Mode, Excel disables certain settings and functionalities, allowing the application to start with minimal features and configurations.

This mode is particularly useful when you experience problems such as Excel crashes, unresponsive workbooks, or malfunctioning add-ins. By isolating potential causes of disruptions, you can pinpoint issues related to conflicting add-ins, corrupted files, or other software conflicts.

In Safe Mode, Excel opens with default settings and add-ins disabled, providing a clean environment for you to diagnose problems. To initiate Excel Safe Mode, you can employ various methods, such as keyboard shortcuts or command-line options.

At the time of writing, there isn’t any way to run Excel safe mode in macOS. This troubleshooting method is exclusively for Excel Windows editions.

Features and Functionalities Not Available in Safe Mode

When you launch your Excel desktop app in safe mode, you can’t use the following:

  • Excel AutoCorrect
  • Excel AutoFill for Custom Lists doesn’t work
  • You can’t edit the Custom List either
  • Ribbon menu or toolbar can’t be modified
  • You can recover a document in safe mode but it won’t open automatically
  • Third-party add-ins, extensions, features, etc., won’t load
  • Built-in Excel add-ins won’t work either
  • You’ll see limited icons and content in the File > Home, Open, Info, and Account menus
  • You can’t edit the Quick Access Toolbar
  • You’ll find most Excel Options items are greyed out

📒 Read More: How to Fix Microsoft Excel Cannot Calculate a Formula Error

Excel Safe Mode With a Keyboard Shortcut

This is the easiest way to launch Excel in safe mode. You can use the method on the default Excel shortcut or an Excel workbook.

Open Excel with CTRL
Open Excel with CTRL

Press the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

Navigate to the Excel shortcut on your PC, either on the Start menu or Taskbar.

Double-click on the app icon while still holding the Ctrl key.

When you see a Microsoft Excel dialog box as presented in the above screenshot, release the Ctrl key.

Select Yes on dialog
Select Yes on the dialog

Click Yes to open Excel in safe mode.

However, if you click No, Excel will open in the normal mode with all custom configurations and functionalities.

Excel safe mode
Excel safe mode

If you apply the above method on the Excel app icon, a blank Excel workbook will open. On the top of the workbook, you should see the Safe Mode message.

No safe mode label
No safe mode label

However, if you open an existing Excel workbook in safe mode, you won’t see the Safe Mode notification.

📒 Read More: How to Fix Microsoft Excel Cannot Paste the Data

Excel Safe Mode Using the Start Menu Search Field

If you’re unable to call the Excel safe mode dialog box by following the previous method, here’s a simple alternative.

Click the Start menu icon or click on the Windows Search field.

Excel safe mode from search
Excel safe mode from search

Then, type the following code inside the search box and hit Enter:

excel.exe /safe

Microsoft Excel shall instantly open in safe mode without showing any dialog box.

Opening a workbook in safe mode
Opening a workbook in safe mode

This method won’t work on an individual Excel workbook. You need to manually open the troubled Excel workbook from the File > Open menu.

Excel Safe Mode From the Run Dialog

Another cool method you can try is through the Run dialog.

Run dialog to open Excel in safe mode
Run dialog to open Excel in safe mode

Press the Windows + R keys together to launch the Run dialog on a Windows PC.

Inside the Open field, type the following command and hit Enter:

excel /safe

A blank Excel workbook will open in safe mode.

You can also open an existing Excel workbook in safe mode from the Run dialog.

Open individual file
Open individual file

Simply, enter the location of the Excel file inside the Open field as shown in the screenshot above.

Then, press and hold the Ctrl key when pressing the Enter key on your keyboard.

Excel Safe Mode Using the Command Prompt

If you love to use the Windows Command Prompt to execute batch files or applications, I’ve also got you covered.

CMD run as admin
CMD run as admin

Click the Start button and type CMD to bring up various versions of the Command Prompt app. There, click on the Run as administrator to launch Windows Command Prompt with elevated rights.

If your Excel installation folder is in C:\ drive, you’ll need admin rights. However, if you’ve installed Excel in any other drive, say D:\, you can open CMD in normal mode.

CMD for safe mode
CMD for safe mode

Next, you need to navigate to the directory where the Excel.exe file is available. For the latest Excel app on Windows 10 or 11, the directory is as mentioned below:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Type cd in the CMD terminal and copy-paste the above address.

Hit Enter to redirect to the Office16 directory.

Now, execute the following command to launch Excel in safe mode:

excel.exe /safe

Excel Safe Mode With the PowerShell Terminal

Running Excel in safe mode using a command is comparatively easier when you use the Windows PowerShell tool.

Right-click on start
Right-click on start

Right-click on the Start button to open the Windows Power User context menu.

Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell

Click on Windows PowerShell or Windows PowerShell (Admin) to launch the terminal app.

Running PowerShell script
Running PowerShell script

Copy and paste this command inside the terminal and hit Enter:

Start-Process excel -ArgumentList "/safemode"

A blank Excel workbook shall open in safe mode.

Excel Safe Mode From the Task Manager

Suppose, there are multiple Excel workbooks open on your PC and you need to troubleshoot the app. Alternatively, the Excel app is stuck on an error message and won’t close. In such situations, you can use the Windows Task Manager tool to end the unresponsive Excel app and launch it in safe mode.

End Excel process
End Excel process

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager dialog.

There, find the active process for Excel under the Processes column header.

Right-click on the app icon and choose the End task to close all open instances of Microsoft Excel.

Run new task
Run new task

Now, click the File menu on Task Manager and choose Run new task option.

Run a new task
Run a new task

The Create new task dialog will pop open. Inside the Open field, copy and paste the following command. Hit Enter to execute.

excel /safe

A blank Excel workbook will open in safe mode.

Create a Desktop Shortcut for Excel Safe Mode

Do you often need to run Excel in safe mode and don’t want to go through a multi-step process? Then, you can create a desktop shortcut to open Excel in safe mode.

Creating a desktop shortcut for Excel
Creating a desktop shortcut for Excel

Create a desktop shortcut for Excel. You can do it easily by dragging and dropping the Excel icon from the Start menu to Windows Desktop.

Right-click on Excel
Right-click on Excel

Now, right-click on the Excel shortcut and choose Properties from the context menu.

Select all in Target
Select all in Target

On the Excel Properties dialog that opens, go to the Shortcut tab and select all the content inside the Target field.

Applying target change
Applying target change

Press End to go to the end of the address in the Target field. Then, put a space and type /safe. Click the Apply button and press OK to close the dialog box.

Now, double-click the shortcut to open Excel safe mode.

Conclusions

So, these are all the possible methods to open Excel in safe mode. Try the method that suits your expertise and Windows user levels.

If the article helped you fix your Excel desktop app by accessing safe mode, don’t forget to comment below. Also, if you know another cool method for Excel safe mode, let other readers know by adding the steps in your comment.

About the Author

Bipasha Nath

Bipasha Nath

Bipasha is a technical content writer with 10+ years of experience in the technology industry. She previously worked in a SaaS software development company focused on SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, Word solutions.

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