Two of my excel spreadsheets won't open

Good day Tom Cor!

Based on what you described, both your 2025 and 2026 Excel workbooks seem to hang when opening and only show the blue spinning circle, possibly because the two files are linked and Excel gets stuck trying to load or update those connections.

A good first test is to open Excel in Safe Mode: press Windows + R, type excel /safe and press Enter. If the 2025 or 2026 workbook opens there, that usually points to an add-in or Excel startup conflict rather than a damaged file. In that case, follow step 3 from the Q&A Assist answer next to test whether disabling the add-in(s) helps.

It’s also worth copying both files to a simple local folder such as the Desktop before opening them, especially if they’re currently in OneDrive, a shared drive, or a network location (workbook links often work best when linked files stay in the same relative location).

If one of the files opens, save it immediately with a new name so you have a cleaner working copy. From there, you can go to Data > Workbook Links / Edit Links to either update the source path or remove the link if needed. Q&A Assist has mentioned a quite similar suggestion in step 2, but it may help to explain it a little more clearly.

If the desktop app still hangs, you could also try opening the file in Excel for the web as a temporary workaround or quick test. If it opens there, that may suggest the workbook itself is still usable and the problem is more with the desktop Excel environment. In this case, you can try step 4 from Q&A Assist to see whether it helps resolve the issue.

Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps. I'm here if you need further support!

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Try the following steps to get the files open and recover the data.

1. Turn off automatic calculation before opening
   If the workbooks have heavy formulas or links between 2025 and 2026, Excel can hang while recalculating.
   1. Open Excel, but do not open the problem files yet.
   2. Create a new blank workbook.
   3. Go to Formulas > Calculation Options > select Manual.
   4. Close the blank workbook, leaving Excel open.
   5. Now try opening the 2025 file first. If it opens, immediately:
      • Break or remove the external links to the 2026 file.
      • Simplify or remove heavy formulas on the sheet that feeds 2026.
   6. Then try opening the 2026 file and fix any links back to 2025.
   This approach matches a scenario where disabling recalculation allowed a large workbook to open, after which sheets were copied to a new workbook and broken links removed.
2. Copy sheets to a new workbook (if the file opens once)
   If you manage to open 2025 or 2026 even once (for example after setting calculation to Manual):
   1. Right‑click each important sheet tab > Move or Copy.
   2. Choose (new book) and tick Create a copy.
   3. Save this new workbook with a new name.
   4. Remove any broken or unnecessary external links in the new file.
3. Check for add‑ins causing the hang
   If Excel hangs as soon as the file starts to open, an add‑in may be involved.
   1. Open Excel with no files open.
   2. Go to File > Options > Add‑Ins.
   3. At the bottom, in Manage, choose COM Add‑ins > Go.
   4. Clear all add‑ins > OK.
   5. Close Excel, reopen it, then try opening the 2025 file.
   6. If still stuck, repeat but this time choose Excel Add‑ins in Manage and clear them.
   7. If the file opens after disabling a specific add‑in, leave that add‑in turned off or look for an updated version.
4. Repair Office if Excel hangs on any file
   If Excel is unstable or shows errors with multiple files, run an Online Repair of Office:
   1. Close all Office apps.
   2. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
   3. Find Microsoft 365 (or Office) > click the three dots > Modify.
   4. Choose Online Repair and confirm.
   5. After it completes, restart the PC and try opening the 2025 and 2026 files again.
5. If nothing works
   If both files still hang even with manual calculation and add‑ins disabled, the workbooks may be corrupted or too complex. In that case, try:

• Opening them in Excel for the web and, if they open, copying key sheets to a new workbook.
• Contacting Microsoft Support for deeper file‑level troubleshooting.

References:

• Troubleshoot opening a blank screen when you double-click a file icon or file name in Excel
• Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working
• Excel files now not opening. - Microsoft Q&A
• When I open an excel file it shows - We're sorry, but excel has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly, Excel will need to be closed as a result. would you like us to repair now? then shows the option "repair now","help","close" - Microsoft Q&A