5 tips to speed up Microsoft Excel Performance

The feature-loaded Microsoft Excel is sometimes prone to issues like latency when opening a file, freezing, delayed response, and sometimes even ‘no response’. However, optimizing its performance is possible by disabling certain performance-robbing features like the used range, add-ins, automatic calculation, and graphic acceleration. In this article, we will explore some tips and tricks to enhance Microsoft Excel performance.

How-to-Speed-Up-Microsoft-Excel-on-Your-Computer.

Contents

1 1. Try a Quick Repair
2 2. Remove Unused Add-ins
3
4 3. Get Rid of Used Range
5 4. Use Manual Calculation Mode
6 5. Disable Hardware Graphic Acceleration
7 More Tips

1. Try a Quick Repair

Microsoft Excel offers a built-in automatic repair feature called ‘Open and Repair’, which can fix common issues. To run a quick repair:

Go to “File > Open”.
Click on the small dropdown arrow in the ‘Open’ button.
Choose ‘Open and Repair’
Click on the ‘Repair’ option

2. Remove Unused Add-ins

Add-ins like themes can burden your system and slow down your spreadsheets. To disable unnecessary add-ins:

Go to the ‘File > Options’ menu and choose ‘Add-ins’ from the left sidebar.
Click the ‘Manage’ dropdown, choose ‘Excel Add-ins’ and then choose ‘Go’.
Uncheck all unnecessary items and click OK.
Close and reopen Microsoft Excel. Check whether Excel performs smoothly.
If Excel is still slow, disable all items in ‘COM Add-Ins’, ‘Actions’ and ‘XML Expansion Packs’ and restart Excel.

3. Get Rid of Used Range

Used range is the unused region on your worksheet that Excel thinks is being used. This can happen if you add and delete data from cells. If the used range is large, the size of your file will be larger than necessary, thus affecting the speed. Your workbook calculates more slowly than it should. Even navigating around the worksheets can be sluggish. To avoid this:

Select the excess rows or columns on your worksheet.
Choose the Excel Home > Cells > Delete Command (shortcut: ctrl+minus)
Save the workbook as a new file.

4. Use Manual Calculation Mode

When you update a value in a cell, Excel automatically recalculates the whole worksheet. You end up waiting for Excel to finish calculating, and this might delay your project. The solution to this issue is to set up Excel so that all computations are performed manually.

Go to File > Options > Formula.
Under ‘Workbook Calculation’, look for ‘Calculation Options’. Find the ‘Manual’ button and click on it.
Uncheck ‘Recalculate Workbook Before Saving’

5. Disable Hardware Graphic Acceleration

While hardware graphics acceleration may sound like a performance boost, it actually refers to a slew of unnoticed animations that slow things down. To disable these features:

Go to File >Options>Advanced
Tick the Disable hardware graphics acceleration check box in the Display section of the Options window.

More Tips

1. Avoid Volatile Formulas: Volatile formulas are recalculated every time when there is a change in the workbook. (For instance: NOW, RAND, OFFSET, etc.) So when there are a large number of volatile formulas, the entire formula set is recalculated. As a result, the worksheet gets sluggish.

2. Replace Unused Formulas by Static Values: A worksheet with a lot of formulas will be slow. If you have formulas that are no longer needed, you should change them to a static value by pasting them as values.

3. Use Named Ranges: A named range is one or more cells that have been given a name. Using named ranges can make formulas easier to read and understand. Named ranges can assist speed up and improve accuracy. They can aid in the automation of updates to massive datasets and charts/graphs.

4. Remove Conditional Formatting: When you want to highlight cells that meet a specific criterion. It can slow down Excel when used on huge data sets or several times.

By implementing these tips, you can significantly enhance Microsoft Excel performance.