How to Open Excel in Safe Mode

    Asmi DhakalBy Excel 3 Mins Read

    If your Excel application tends to crash a lot, it’s best if you open Excel in Safe mode. When you boot Excel in safe mode, it uses limited drivers and disables third-party add-ins. Enabling Safe mode in Excel is a great way to check if it’s a driver or an extension causing your program to go slow or freeze from time to time.

    How to Open Excel in Safe Mode?

    We have gathered three ways you can open Excel in Safe mode. These methods depend on how frequently you wish to enable Safe mode in Excel.

    Hold Down the CTRL Key

    The fastest way to open Excel in safe mode is to hold down on the CTRL Key as Excel launches. You may receive a confirmation box on if you wish to boot your program in Safe Mode or not.

    1. Launch Start.
    2. Type in Excel and select it.
    3. Immediately after you see the start page, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard.
    4. If prompted, select Yes on the confirmation box.
      Safe Mode Confirmation Box

    Use the Run Command

    You can also start Excel in Safe mode using the Run command. If you find the first method inconvenient, you can use this method.

    1. Use the shortcut, Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
    2. In the search bar, enter excel /safe.
      Launch Safe mode from run
    3. Hit the Enter key.

    Create a Shortcut

    If you usually find yourself in need of opening Excel in safe mode, it’s best that you change the Excel properties to always boot in Safe Mode. We will be creating an Excel shortcut that only launches Excel in Safe Mode. This way you can save yourself from the hassle of making special entries every time you open Excel.

    1. Launch Start and enter Excel.
    2. Right-click on Excel and select Open file location.
      Open Excel File Location
    3. Use copy-paste (Ctrl + C/Ctrl + V) to create a copy of Excel. Make sure you have administrator access.
      Destination Folder Access
    4. Drag the copy to your desktop.
    5. Right-click on the duplicated program.
    6. Select Properties.
      Excel Properties
    7. In the Shortcut tab, locate the section next to Target.
    8. Enter /safe after the specified location.
      Excel Shortcut Target
    NOTE: Don’t forget to add the space before the slash “/” symbol.
    1. Select Apply > OK.
    2. Confirm the changes in the dialog box.

    You can now use this shortcut every time you wish to use Excel in Safe Mode. I advise you to rename this shortcut to something more relevant like “Excel Safe Mode”. Excel will still launch normally when you try to open it from the Start menu. This is because we didn’t alter the original program and only made the changes in the copy.

    Asmi is a content writer specializing in MS Office. She loves writing Excel-related content to assist other users to learn their way around the program. She started using Excel when she first entered the industry as a marketing intern. Soon, she realized that learning the often-overlooked spreadsheet program was no piece of cake. In her articles, she attempts to brief out complex topics to help beginner to intermediate-level Excel users. Asmi uses Excel for everything, including creating a grocery list to managing her personal finance. She’s a bit dramatic when it comes to the Flash Fill feature; so much so that could write a eulogy out of it. When she’s not working, you’ll find her learning a new recipe, or cleaning up her mess (out of the failed recipe).

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