Starting in Safe Mode

If you are having problems with Excel, it could be because of the files and add-ins that are loaded whenever you start Excel. To test this theory, you can start Excel in "safe mode." Follow these steps:

1. Choose the Run option from the Start menu. Windows displays the Run dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
2. In the Open box, type the path to the Excel program, and add the /s switch at the end. For instance, the command line you enter might look like this:

     "c:\program files\microsoft office\office\excel.exe" /s 

Excel starts, but in doing so, it bypasses all the files in the various startup folders (such as XLStart), and depending on your version of Excel it skips loading the toolbar file (Excel.xlb). You know you are in safe mode because the words "Safe Mode" appears in the title bar. You can use Excel as you normally would, and then exit the program. The next time you start the program—without the safe mode switch—it runs as it normally does.