Excel crashing on 1 workbook

[tek9]

Hi all.
Need some help with a client's Excel sheet.
This is for a CPA using a certain Excel sheet with some Financial calculations (that I don't understand) that causes Excel to crash. They've been using and updating this particular sheet for years now and it's only lately been starting to cause issues. The file is located on a Synology box, but it crashes even when copied to the local machines.
Her employee called me the other day regarding this. It appears there are 2 sheets, one called SOI and the other called SOI2, that, when clicked into, cause Excel to stop responding. I tried a bunch of stuff, including turning off the A/V, updating Office 365 to the latest version etc., but the only way I could get it to work was to go to File>options>advanced, and check the box to Disable hardware graphics acceleration. Once I did that I can open the file and use it OK whether it was on the local machine or the Synology.
Now the boss calls me with the same problem on her own laptop. I tried the same fixes but this time it didn't help. Her laptop is pretty decent, core i7 4th gen, 8GB RAM Lenovo running Windows 8.1 x64. The file doesn't even open at all. It freezes Excel when you try to open it.
I copied the file to my own machine (i7 desktop, 24GB RAM, SSD, using Excel 2010 on Windows 7 Pro x64) and it opens fine, but it freezes when clicking those 2 worksheets. I tried checking that box to disable the hardware graphics acceleration but it didn't make a difference.
I tried to Open and Repair the file from Excel's Open dialog. It runs some kind of repair and then freezes when I try to save the file. Even if I try to save it as a different name or format, still freezes. Also tried disabling all Excel add-ins and opening it in Safe Mode, no difference.
Does anyone know anything else to try at this point?
Thanks.
edit: forgot to add the file size is 2.79MB. It's only like 6 sheets with not many rows and columns. I guess the formulas make up the large file size?

 

[glennd]

Hi all.
Need some help with a client's Excel sheet.
This is for a CPA using a certain Excel sheet with some Financial calculations (that I don't understand) that causes Excel to crash. They've been using and updating this particular sheet for years now and it's only lately been starting to cause issues. The file is located on a Synology box, but it crashes even when copied to the local machines.
Her employee called me the other day regarding this. It appears there are 2 sheets, one called SOI and the other called SOI2, that, when clicked into, cause Excel to stop responding. I tried a bunch of stuff, including turning off the A/V, updating Office 365 to the latest version etc., but the only way I could get it to work was to go to File>options>advanced, and check the box to Disable hardware graphics acceleration. Once I did that I can open the file and use it OK whether it was on the local machine or the Synology.
Now the boss calls me with the same problem on her own laptop. I tried the same fixes but this time it didn't help. Her laptop is pretty decent, core i7 4th gen, 8GB RAM Lenovo running Windows 8.1 x64. The file doesn't even open at all. It freezes Excel when you try to open it.
I copied the file to my own machine (i7 desktop, 24GB RAM, SSD, using Excel 2010 on Windows 7 Pro x64) and it opens fine, but it freezes when clicking those 2 worksheets. I tried checking that box to disable the hardware graphics acceleration but it didn't make a difference.
I tried to Open and Repair the file from Excel's Open dialog. It runs some kind of repair and then freezes when I try to save the file. Even if I try to save it as a different name or format, still freezes. Also tried disabling all Excel add-ins and opening it in Safe Mode, no difference.
Does anyone know anything else to try at this point?
Thanks.
edit: forgot to add the file size is 2.79MB. It's only like 6 sheets with not many rows and columns. I guess the formulas make up the large file size?

You should probably define what you mean by "crash".
1) disable macros.
2) take a copy of the spreadsheet and start doing a binary disintegration. delete half the worksheets and test, delete half again and test, keep deleting until there's nothing left and test. at some point it will start working, maybe. if not it's probably beyond redemption and they should revert to yesterday's backup. they do have yesterday's backup don't they?

 

[tek9]

The "crash" is as I mentioned in the post, that Excel freezes and stops responding.
The problem started happening a week or so ago. I can probably restore a backup from prior to that, but why would it work on one machine but not the other?

 

[mraikes]

...snipped....but why would it work on one machine but not the other?

This is a question asked of me 50 times a week.

The short answer is that the two machines are not identical. For that matter, no two machines are ever identical. Software is different. Updates and combinations of updates and timings of updates are different (both for Windows and the myriad other installed software). Drivers are different. Wear and tear is different.

Two identical computers leaving the assembly line will be different within 1 hour of end user activity. For that matter, two supposedly identical computers leaving the same factory can be different from the moment they're created. For example, different parts suppliers or manufacturers.

It's actually amazing that ANYTHING works properly on more than one computer for any amount of time.

 

[glennd]

This is a question asked of me 50 times a week.

The short answer is that the two machines are not identical. For that matter, no two machines are ever identical. Software is different. Updates and combinations of updates and timings of updates are different (both for Windows and the myriad other installed software). Drivers are different. Wear and tear is different.

Two identical computers leaving the assembly line will be different within 1 hour of end user activity. For that matter, two supposedly identical computers leaving the same factory can be different from the moment they're created. For example, different parts suppliers or manufacturers.

It's actually amazing that ANYTHING works properly on more than one computer for any amount of time.

agreed. because they are not the same. figuring out what's different will probably give you a clue but I suspect the software is different. Specifically different versions of Excel or different patches or updates. or it could be that one computer simply has the wherewithal to withstand the onslaught better than the other.

Does the cpu go 100% ? Does one have a dicky HDD ?

At some point you should draw the line and revert...

 

[Moltuae]

Check the file size. My guess is you'll notice the file is somewhat larger than your working backup of the file.


In my experience, when a previously working workbook file suddenly starts crashing Excel, it's because someone inadvertently made entries in cells that are far outside the intended worksheet area (a telltale sign is a sudden increase in file size). If formulas have been applied to entire rows/columns (which they commonly are), attempts by Excel to make calculations that include the unintentional data (which can be hundreds of thousands of cells away) can cause it to hang/crash.

If this is the case, if you are able to open the offending worksheets, what you need to do is clear all the unused cells (I'd recommend working on a copy of the file in case something goes wrong):

https://www.exceltip.com/excel-text/reducing-the-used-area-in-a-sheet.html