How to open large excel files without crashing. Now open Excel and see if the problem disappears or not.
How to open large excel files without crashing. xltm, . What if you want to open a large CSV file with more than 1,048,576 rows? You can do this in various ways. Jun 17, 2025 · With just a few smart techniques, you can open massive CSV files more smoothly and safely, without crashing your spreadsheet. We also discuss how a professional Excel file repair tool like Stellar Repair for Excel helps avoid data loss. These tips can help ensure a stable working experience in Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007 Aug 2, 2025 · Row Zero is a spreadsheet for big data that opens large CSV files online for free. Sometimes, the May 16, 2025 · Excel Keeps Crashing: 5 Simple Ways to Fix Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool widely used for data analysis, financial modeling, and a broad spectrum of tasks that involve data manipulation and management. Imagine having a tool that can analyze your file and pinpoint the source of the issue without you having to play detective. Have you ever wondered how big an Excel file can be? If youve ever experienced the frustration of a large file slowing down your system, youll want to read on to understand the maximum size of an Excel file, what factors affect its size, and how to create smaller files. We will use the read_only mode to load large files and also slice and extend data. Sep 4, 2020 · A good option for very large Excel files is to save your spreadsheet as an Excel Binary Workbook. We collected the easiest and most effective tips to make Excel fast again. Why does Excel crash frequently becomes even more important when crashes cause lost hours, missed deadlines, and frustration across many jobs. Jul 19, 2023 · Working with a particularly large dataset, Excel kept crashing, and froze constantly. Open big CSV files more than 1 million rows and any CSV too big for Excel. However, if I copy and paste the same file onto my desktop, it opens without any problems. The larger this is, the bigger the file size becomes. Excel Crashing Without Warning When Dealing with Large Data Sets Yes I know I should be using a DB for large data sets, but like many others, I don't have a choice in my scenario. Feb 5, 2024 · Scan and repair your Excel file using the software. Follow these steps to save your data and minimize losses, ensuring your efforts are not in vain. In this article, you’ll learn how to make Excel run faster with lots of data using proven methods. Introduction Opening large CSV files in Excel can be a common challenge for many users. Every time I start building the excel file about halfway through it gets to a point where the file crashes after I do almost anything. Delete Temp Excel Files Excel stores unsaved workbooks in the Temp files of your PC so that you can auto-recover the files. Sep 8, 2024 · Managing large files on Windows can be a daunting task, especially when default programs struggle to handle massive amounts of data. Do I just need a faster computer? Or is there a great trick for getting the files to open faster? Right now I'm using a MacBook 3. Jul 23, 2025 · Table of Contents How Can You Stop Excel Startup Errors? Essential Steps for a Smooth, Stress-Free Experience Excel Keeps Closing: Why Does This Happen? Solution 1. I'm currently unable to open an Excel file from a shared drive location. If you save this workbook, you'll lose data that wasn't loaded. Open a terminal window. File corruption can cause this issue as well, so be sure to fix corrupted Excel files. From corrupted files to low disk space, we've got you covered! Jun 23, 2025 · Why does Excel crash frequently? This question worries millions of people who rely on Microsoft Excel for their daily work. Optimize and Split Large Files: Large or complex files with many formulas, conditional formatting, or data can overload Excel. Sep 17, 2025 · Do you know how to work on large Excel files without crashing in Windows 10? This post outlined five steps to ensure a stable working experience in Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, etc. Excel provides a feature to split a large file into smaller files based on the number of rows or columns. Advanced techniques, such as running Excel in Safe Mode, may resolve persistent issues. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Whilst I thought this one file may be corrupt, I have used this Oct 1, 2020 · So I'm using the new STOCKHISTORY function in excel, however, I need to run around 1700-2100 separate calculations. However, you can try the following steps to open your docs faster: 1. csv) file, you might see the warning message, "This data set is too large for the Excel grid. 16. Open Excel in Safe Mode Solution 3. Apr 18, 2024 · Is Excel crashing or freezing? Don't panic, because there's usually a reason why. Fix the Most Common Causes of Slow Excel Files (Free Files Included) 10 Million Rows of data Analyzed using Excel's Data Model Excel: Reduce the file size of your Excel workbook | Excel tips and Jan 10, 2025 · Corrupted Add-Ins: Some add-ins enhance functionality, but corrupted ones might cause instability. These steps can help resolve the most common issues when you receive an Excel not responding error, Excel hangs or freezes when you launch it, or open an Excel workbook. Jul 25, 2025 · Discover multiple methods to speed up large and sluggish Excel workbooks by optimizing formulas, cleaning up files, and using advanced data tools. Your files will be named xaa, xab, etc. Type: split -l 5000 filename where "filename" is the name of your file and 5000 is the number of lines you want in each piece of the file. The easiest way to use it is with the -l (lines) argument. 3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7, with 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3. Check Startup Folders for Problem Files Solution 6. Jul 15, 2025 · Resolve Excel crashes at launch or when opening files in Windows 11 using proven troubleshooting steps and targeted solutions. Here are some reasons why reading large text files is needed: 1. save the file will help clear out Recently, while working on an Excel Workbook with large calculations, almost a million rows, & and multiple file connections, I faced the problem of Excel Crashing and hanging, So I began to look Jan 8, 2025 · Microsoft Excel Learn how to troubleshoot and fix Excel when it crashes during file saving. Introduction One of the common issues encountered by Excel users is the program crashing when dealing with large file sizes. Learn common reasons for Excel crashing when opening a file and find solutions to fix it. Turn off the auto calculation if you really don’t have any calculation Within the loop do something like activeworkbook. Oct 27, 2025 · Does your MS Excel file too large to open or share with others, and you don’t know what to do, then don’t worry. All the files are stored in a file server due to security restriction at… Sep 27, 2023 · Hello Team, I've encountered an unusual issue with Microsoft Excel. Large files, too many formulas, or even small mistakes like extra formatting can all play a part. I'm running Excel For Mac 16. Whether it's due to the sheer volume of data or complex formulas and calculations, understanding the limitations of Excel is crucial for preventing frustrating crashes. save each iteration. Feb 20, 2025 · Compressing the File If all else fails, try compressing the file. Apr 12, 2025 · Below is an in-depth look at using the built-in Excel troubleshooter on Windows 11 to resolve startup, hang, or crash issues with Microsoft Excel. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, these steps will work for you. May 1, 2019 · Move those files to some other location (i. Get your Excel back on track! These steps can help resolve the most common issues when you receive an Excel not responding error, Excel hangs or freezes when you launch it, or open an Excel workbook. Why do Excel files grow in size? Excel has a “used range” for every sheet in your workbook. Scan for Viruses and Malware Viruses and malware can wreak havoc on your computer, including causing Excel to crash. Jun 25, 2025 · Identifies areas in Excel workbooks that use lots of memory and describes how you can make your workbook files work more efficiently. Outdated Software: Running an older version of Excel or Windows can also cause performance issues. However, if the Excel program still crashes, the problem lies within the system or program. Update Excel and Windows Solution 5. Here are nine tools that excel in viewing large files without I work with large data sets with millions of rows, it can take many minutes for the files to open, let alone the data be manipulated. How do I fix Excel if it keeps crashing randomly? Go through the following checks before trying any advanced troubleshooting steps: Feb 20, 2025 · Leveraging AI for File Diagnostics AI can be a game-changer when it comes to diagnosing problems with your Excel files. I've noticed on and off over the last 6-8 months that Excel will randomly crash, usually when I have a lot of medium-large size spreadsheets open or one very large one. To do this, you need to do the following: Open the file that is “heavy” Go to File> Save As In the TYPE field, choose Excel Binary Workbook. Sep 26, 2024 · Is Excel frozen, running slow, or taking forever to open? See what makes Excel slow to respond and how to speed up Excel and make Excel run faster. For instance, you could be dealing with corrupt Excel files or perhaps encountering issues with Excel add-ins. Yesterday, the file refused to open on 2 different work PCs, both running the same, fully updated version of Excel from an Office 365 E3 business subscription. This is a shared file and we need to be able to open it with ease/safely. xls, . The sheer size of these files often leads to slow loading times, crashes, and a frustrating user experience. However, encountering crashes or freezing issues can be frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of an important task. Oct 7, 2016 · Typically a 55mb file may take up 1gb memory in excel, and take 2-3min to open depending on the formula structure, so 5mins to open 166mb is not unexpected. Opening a large file requires lots of memory and processing power. Use the fastest CPU and memory possible. Let’s get started!. There is no way for me to avoid crash as excel will freeze when it hit around 1. Outdated Software: Running outdated versions of Excel and Windows can lead to compatibility issues causing these problems. Apr 20, 2025 · If Excel crashes or freezes when running macro, without saving, when opening file from network, copy-pasting, deleting rows, then see this post. Setting a multi-step process using multiple different excel files tied together with PowerQuery isn't unusual if you're trying to workaround a few issues. Open big text files up to 2 billion rows. Sep 4, 2025 · How to open large Excel file without crashing and loosing data. Jun 26, 2024 · Learn how to rescue your work when Excel freezes. Read the article for quick fixes! Apr 5, 2023 · Excel automation in Power Automate for desktop - Training Learn how to use Power Automate for desktop to open, read, and manipulate Excel files with various Microsoft Excel actions. In this comprehensive article we break down all the common situations in which Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and others) crashes or becomes slow when opening large files, and we make it easy for you the most up-to-date and effective techniques to solve each problem. Hence, make Excel folder blank. Whether you’re handling thousands of rows, complex formulas, or linked workbooks, Excel can quickly become sluggish. ” This creates a new, smaller file that’s easier Aug 18, 2025 · Working with large Excel files can be frustrating when it leads to slow calculations, constant lag, and even crashes. This issue can occur due to various reasons, such as problematic add-ins, corrupted files, or conflicts with other software. Feb 16, 2024 · Reading large text files is essential for various use cases in data processing and analysis. Aug 14, 2023 · Then, click Remove. You are on the right page; this write-up is going to explain the top ways, such as manual methods and alternative solutions, for experts to open large Excel files without crashing. This technique can compress files from 20 MB to 4 MB, which is already a big difference. So, always break them into smaller files and simplify formulas to keep Excel stable and responsive. Introduction Managing large Excel files can be a challenge for many professionals and businesses. The slow opening of a large Excel file with pivot tables can be due to a combination of factors, including the file size, your computer's performance, and how the pivot tables are set up. Oct 13, 2023 · -Restart Excel and see if the problem is resolved. Feb 12, 2025 · Large Data Sets: Handling massive amounts of data can sometimes overwhelm Excel, leading to those dreaded freezes. It should help you avoid having to open files and manually copying them. Large File Sizes: Working with large Excel files may overwhelm system resources, leading to crashes or freezing. How to open Excel in safe mode: Step 1. Jul 23, 2025 · Suppose your large text files can't open normally on your computer; Don't worry! This guide will introduce x ways to view a large text file even if it was corrupted! The reliable text word converter, EaseUS Fixo Document Repair, helps repair large text files that can't be opened. Thankfully, there are external tools and add-ons that can help optimize the performance of Excel when dealing with large datasets. 3GB memory usage. Oct 11, 2022 · Is opening large files slowing down your computer? Try using these programs instead and notice a visible difference! Nov 8, 2021 · Sometimes, Excel’s million row limit is far below what you need for your work. In some cases, Excel might simply refuse to open the file at all, especially if your computer’s resources are limited. Any updates, you may post back. I’m truly sorry to hear about the inconvenience this has caused, especially given your reliance on Microsoft 365 for important work. Oct 4, 2024 · Opening a large Excel file with extensive formulas, data, or charts can overload Excel’s resources and lead to crashes. Repair Microsoft Office Jul 15, 2025 · Experiencing Excel crashes or freezes on startup? Discover expert troubleshooting steps to fix common issues like file corruption, add-in conflicts, and outdated software, ensuring stable access and preventing data loss. Feb 25, 2025 · Imagine working on a critical Excel project that involves constantly saving and accessing large files. You can experience sluggishness, formatting errors, and random crashes at far below the limit as well. Transform your sluggish Excel files into lightning-fast workbooks with 16 proven optimization techniques. Clear Office File Cache Solution 2. If you open it… Jan 23, 2025 · Is Excel not responding? Discover five effective solutions to resolve the issue and get back to your work smoothly. If the heavy Excel file contains a large amount of data, splitting it into smaller parts can make it more manageable and easier to open. Feb 16, 2024 · Hi all, Excel on Windows keeps crashing, seemingly randomly with a Workbook with VBA, the VBA has worked for years and the crashing happens only on one specific PC, once the crash happens the file can't then be opened on any Windows PC but it can be opened on a Mac OS Excel ok and then once saved on Mac, the file is then good to open on Windows Jun 9, 2023 · Why Does Excel Crash? There are a variety of reasons why Microsoft Excel might crash on your Windows 10 or 11 computer. If you’ve opened a file with a large data set in Excel, such as a delimited text (. 2) Use the Jul 27, 2025 · How Can You Stop Excel From Freezing Every Time You Start It? 7 Proven Methods Your Excel keeps crashing. This can reduce the file size and make it easier to open. When it comes to working with large Excel files, it can often be a challenge to open and manipulate them without experiencing crashes or slowdowns. This should ideally fix all the issues with Excel. Jul 28, 2024 · Row Zero lets you easily open large txt files online and edit them in a powerful spreadsheet. cd to the directory where your giant file lives. Jul 18, 2025 · Discover practical solutions to stop Excel from freezing or crashing when you copy and paste large datasets, especially on Windows 11. e create a backup of those files / folders and delete all files / folders from here). " To avoid losing any data that wasn’t loaded, follow these instructions. If you are looking for a way to get past the row limit with an Excel file then read this other guide. Use one or many tips together to protect big Excel files from freezing, crashing or running slowly on your PC. Especially in older files, even if cells are blank and have no formatting, Excel may be treating them inside the used range, leading to a larger file size for no reason. Jun 29, 2025 · Based on the information you provided, I understand that you're experiencing issues with Excel crashing when attempting to open or save files, even after a recent installation and online repair. As the volume of data increases, it becomes crucial to know how to efficiently work with these files to avoid slow loading times, crashing, and other complications. Experiencing Excel crashing when attempting to save a file can be frustrating, especially when you're working on important data. After repair, save the Excel file at your desired location and open it in MS Excel. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You’ve invested time and effort into creating a document, only for it to behave like a rebellious teenager, refusing to cooperate. Simple steps like restarting Excel can help diagnose the problem. Repair or Recover the Excel File Solution 4. Row Zero supports 1000x bigger datasets than the max excel file size and is faster than Excel for big data. However the users who have 32-bit office are all seeing issues with Excel, freezing or crashing when in large shared Excel documents. On a Mac or Ubuntu box the split command does exactly what you want. How to troubleshoot available resources errors in Excel - Microsoft 365 Apps Provides methods to resolve memory errors in Microsoft Excel. Jul 26, 2024 · Step-by-Step Tutorial for Opening Large Excel Files This tutorial will guide you through the necessary steps to open large Excel files without crashing your system or running into issues. Nov 6, 2023 · Why is Excel So Slow? Excel can slow down for many reasons. But here’s the good news: you can fix it. Aug 6, 2025 · Hello, I have an excel file (xlsx) that contains multiple formulas and has multiple tabs due to the business needs. Oct 10, 2025 · Summary: It is common for large Excel files to crash. Running out of ideas : ( Mar 23, 2023 · I have a business critical Excel . Note - If the above path is not applicable for your installation, you need to find XLSTART path. Regularly scanning your system can help identify and remove any threats. Learn how to open large Excel files without crashing. by default. Common causes include add-in conflicts and large file sizes. This guide will help you troubleshoot and fix this issue. Second, you may want to check if your Macbook has enough system resources and storage space to open the large file. It is a powerful Excel file repair software built for repairing severely corrupted or damaged Excel files of major file formats, including . In this tutorial, we will Feb 12, 2025 · Making these changes may not eliminate crashes entirely, but they can help Excel run more smoothly, especially when working with large or complex files. You can fix the problem by following this guide. Apr 2, 2025 · Open big XLSX files in a more powerful spreadsheet. This blog discusses causes and practical solutions on how to open large Excel files. Sep 17, 2025 · What is the correct reaction if Excel frozen but not crashed in Windows 10? Should you wait for Excel response or restart? Here, you can follow the 10 tricks to fix a freezing Excel application without losing data. Sep 15, 2022 · Hi, having issue when opening excel file from onedrive for one folder only, when file opens the splash screens comes up and local excel opens and you can see the file is open, but you cant do anything, you have to end it with task manager. The only thing I can recommend you is to use PowerQuery to read data. Excel power tips at your fingertips. Excel file over 274mb, constantly freezing my excel and coworkers Im not the author of the workbook but I am trying to help a coworker get her file size down because I think that is what is causing the crashes. Dec 4, 2018 · I ran into similar issue when I have 20 pivot table in one file that references 20 different other files and need update. Jan 2, 2025 · If Microsoft Excel worksheet crashes when saving a file, try saving it to another location. Oct 15, 2023 · Clean up an Excel workbook so that it uses less memory - Microsoft 365 Apps Identifies areas in Excel workbooks that use lots of memory and describes how you can make your workbook files work more efficiently. Although the temp files can come in handy to help recover your files, some of them could be problematic. Several AI-based tools are available that can scan your Excel files for errors. Top manual and expert tool to handle large Excel files and make it smaller. I have the necessary… Sep 21, 2025 · Key Takeaways Excel not responding is a frequent issue affecting millions of users globally. It could be during instances like sudden PC shutdown, app crash, or lost internet connection. To compress a file, right-click on it and select “Send to” followed by “Compressed (zipped) folder. You click to open a file, and boom – it freezes Apr 22, 2020 · Hi, I have an Excel file with somewhere around 500 SUMIFS & AVERAGEIFS, some of which are just summarizing the data on the sheet, others pulling from other sheets on the file, and some pulling from external files. Feb 20, 2025 · Excel crashing can feel like a nightmare, especially when you’re in the middle of important work. The following article provides step-by-step guidance, expert insights, and practical tips to get your Excel application running smoothly again. This guide will walk you through 5 practical methods that actually work, even in real-world office tasks. xlsb file, that I have been updating/using for years (it contains about 20 sheets, and a lot of VBA code - none of which runs on opening). What is a CSV File? Jul 30, 2021 · How did you open this Excel file? It's recommended to go to Excel first > Open > locate to OneDrive cloud, local OneDrive folder or "Shared with me", find the Excel file to open and have a check. xlsm. xltx, and . Feb 20, 2025 · Similarly, when you have a large Excel file, your computer has to work harder to process and display all that information, which can lead to slowdowns, crashes, or even the dreaded “not responding” message. From fixing broken links to leveraging Power Query, discover how to reduce bloat and boost performance instantly. This excel is being fed data from multiple other excel files. Learn the best techniques to open large Excel files quickly and efficiently without crashes or delays. Kindly check if your Excel app is up to date and has the latest version installed. Additionally, the reliability of the SSD reduces the risk of data loss or corruption, ensuring the safety of your essential Excel files. Follow the solutions discussed ahead to try and fix the Excel crash Learn 10 ways to fix Excel not responding errors, including repairing files, disabling add-ins, and launching in safe mode. Formulas are set to manual, and the two source files/sheets that data is being pulled from are very large (500,000+ rows). If you notice only large Excel files are crashing when you attempt to launch, save or edit the workbook, this may be due to not having enough RAM on your device. 27 thanks. Such disruptions can lead to loss of progress, wasted time Jul 19, 2023 · How can I safely reduce a file size for an excel document that is 206,162 KB? I can open it only if I have no other programs open on my computer. Now open Excel and see if the problem disappears or not. Discover expert tips and techniques to efficiently open large Excel files without crashing your application. In this article, I will guide you on how you can open a big CSV file with or without Excel. Free up more space on your computer, otherwise, you can attempt to access your Excel file by opening Microsoft Excel in safe mode. Conflicting Add-Ins: Sometimes, third-party add-ins can conflict with Excel's operations, causing it to stop responding. xlsx, . txt) or comma separated (. To work on large Excel files without crashing in Windows 10, use one or many of the following steps: enable the “Large Office Files” feature, use the “Power Query” add-in to optimize data, disable unnecessary add-ins, use the “Compact” feature, and close unnecessary Excel files to free up memory. If your Macbook does not have enough resources, Excel may take a long time to open the file or crash. Learn how to handle large files in Python using openpyxl. Hi all, I can open excel fine and work on files but when I try to open files from within Excel it constantly crashes (from file>open) I've tried safe mode, reinstalls, repairs, disabling add ins, updates etc and no luck. Oct 14, 2023 · Hi Kathiravan, Thanks for contacting us. Excel files are already compressed, but you can often squeeze a bit more out of them using compression software. Dec 17, 2024 · However, if it fails to resolve crashing issues with your Excel file, you can take the help of a specially designed software – Stellar Repair for Excel. Currently, I also suggest you make sure the Preview Pane is turned off in Windows Explorer. Save to binary files, and that will improve loading and saving the large files. Big Data Analysis: With the increasing volume of data being generated, organizations often need to analyze large text files to extract valuable insights. But don’t worry, you’re not alone, and there are ways to fix this issue and get your Excel files back on track. The fast storage enables quick file operations, eliminating delays and improving productivity. mezwl9hj9cftjw08uoaqdylbhyoplayrorqzixrk7m2