3 Easy Ways to Open Excel in Safe Mode

If Microsoft Excel crashes, freezes, or acts up, Safe Mode is your best friend. Opening Excel in Safe Mode disables add-ins and customizations, letting you troubleshoot problems quickly. Here are three easy ways to open Excel in Safe Mode.

1. Hold the Ctrl Key While Starting Excel

This is the fastest trick.

How to do it:

1. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
2. While holding Ctrl, double-click your Excel shortcut or select Excel from your Start menu.
3. A prompt will pop up asking if you want to start Excel in Safe Mode. Click Yes.

That’s it! Excel opens in Safe Mode.

2. Use the Run Command

Prefer typing? Here’s how to do it with a quick command.

How to do it:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type:
   excel /safe
3. Press Enter.

Excel will start in Safe Mode, bypassing any problematic add-ins or custom settings.

3. Create a Safe Mode Shortcut

If you need Safe Mode often, make your own shortcut.

How to do it:

1. Right-click your desktop and choose New > Shortcut.
2. In the location field, type:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\EXCEL.EXE" /safe Replace OfficeXX with your actual Office version (like Office16 for Office 2016, or Office15 for 2013).
3. Click Next, name your shortcut (like “Excel Safe Mode”), and click Finish.

Now you have a one-click shortcut to open Excel in Safe Mode any time.

Final Tips

Safe Mode is for troubleshooting. If Excel works fine in Safe Mode but not normally, an add-in or customization is probably to blame. Try disabling add-ins one by one until you find the problem.

Got questions or stuck? Drop a comment below!

Share this post if it helped you, and bookmark for next time Excel gives you trouble.

Mark Vincent

Tech enthusiast and content creator passionate about making technology simple for everyone. I share practical tips, guides, and reviews on the latest in computers, software, and gadgets. Let’s explore the digital world together!