4 Fixes for “Excel Couldn’t Start Last Time” Error on Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Open Excel in Safe Mode

Opening Microsoft Excel in safe mode can help you troubleshoot all kinds of errors and issues. Hence, try that first. When the “Excel couldn’t start last time” error message appears, clickYesto open Excel in safe mode.

If you have already dismissed the error message, press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog. Typeexcel -safein the box and pressEnterto open Excel in safe mode.

If you don’t experience problems, one of your add-ins is likely preventing Excel from opening in normal mode. In that case, you will need to disable all of your add-ins and re-enable them one at a time.

Step 1:Open Microsoft Excel on your computer and click theFilemenu in the top-left corner.

Step 2:ClickOptionsat the bottom-left corner.

Step 3:Switch to theAdd-instab and selectCOM Add-insin the Manage drop-down menu. Then, click theGobutton next to it.

Step 4:Clear all the checkboxes and clickOK.

After disabling add-ins, restart Excel, and re-enable your add-ins one at a time. Try using Excel after enabling each add-in. Once you find the troublesome add-in, consider removing it.

Fix 2: Empty the Excel Application Startup Folder

When you open Microsoft Excel on your PC, it loads various account-specific configuration settings, templates, and other essential data. If this data has become corrupted or inaccessible, you may encounter errors like “Excel couldn’t start last time” on your PC.

To fix this, you need to empty the files in the Excel startup folder. Doing so will force Excel to recreate the missing files, effectively resolving any problems.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box. Type%appdata%\Microsoft\Excelin the box and press Enter.

Step 2:In the File Explorer window, press theCtrl + Akeyboard shortcut to select all the files and click thetrash iconat the top.

Fix 3: Reset Excel Options

One of your Excel preferences may be causing the program to misbehave and trigger errors. Instead of going through each Excel setting individually, it’s easier to reset themusing the Registry Editor.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box. Typeregeditin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and pressEnter.

Step 3:Right-click theOptionskey and selectDelete. SelectYesto confirm.

Restart your PC after this and try using Excel again.

Fix 4: Run the Office Repair Tool

If nothing works or if you experiencesimilar issues with other Office apps, you can consider running Microsoft’s Office repair tool. It will scan all your Office apps, including Excel, for any issues and fix them.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the text box and pressEnter.

Step 2:Locate and select the Microsoft Office suite. Then, click theChangeoption at the top.

Step 3:Select theOnline Repairoption and clickRepair.

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Last updated on 18 July, 2024

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