How to Fix Excel Freezing When Printing: Easy Guide
Does Excel freeze when printing? You are not alone. Many users face this problem across different versions of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365.
When Excel stops responding during a print job, it wastes time and causes frustration. The good news is that most of these issues have simple fixes you can apply yourself.
Why Does Excel Freeze When You Try to Print
Excel freezing during printing is usually caused by one or more of the following:
| Cause | Description |
|---|---|
| Outdated printer drivers | Old drivers fail to communicate properly with Excel |
| Corrupt workbook | Damaged file data causes Excel to crash mid-print |
| Large or complex spreadsheet | Heavy files with many formulas slow down print rendering |
| Conflicting add-ins | Third-party add-ins interfere with the print process |
| Wrong default printer | A missing or offline printer confuses Excel |
| Outdated Excel version | Bugs in older builds trigger print errors |
How to Fix Excel Not Responding When Printing
1) Update or Reinstall Your Printer Driver
An outdated printer driver is one of the most common causes of Excel hanging during printing.
- Open the Start menu and search for Device Manager
- Expand the Printers section
- Right-click your printer and select Update driver
- Choose Search automatically for drivers
- Alternatively, visit your printer manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver manually
- Restart your computer after updating
- Try printing in Excel again
2) Change the Default Printer in Windows
Excel freezes on print preview or during printing when it tries to reach an offline, disconnected, or misconfigured printer.
- Open Settings and go to Bluetooth and Devices
- Click Printers and Scanners
- Select Microsoft Print to PDF
- Set it as your default printer
- Open your Excel file and try printing
- If it works, the original printer was the problem
3) Disable Excel Add-ins
Conflicting add-ins run in the background and can block Excel’s print function.
- Open Excel and go to File, then Options, then Add-ins
- At the bottom, set the Manage dropdown to COM Add-ins
- Click Go
- Uncheck all add-ins and click OK
- Restart Excel and test printing
- If printing works, re-enable add-ins one by one to find the one causing the freeze
4) Open Excel in Safe Mode
Excel Safe Mode disables add-ins and custom settings automatically to isolate the cause.
- Hold the Ctrl key and double-click the Excel icon
- Click Yes when prompted to open in Safe Mode
- Try printing your file
- If printing works in Safe Mode, an add-in or startup setting is the culprit
5) Reduce the Size and Complexity of Your Spreadsheet
Large Excel files with complex formulas, conditional formatting, or many embedded objects can freeze the print engine.
- Remove unused rows and columns
- Clear formatting from empty cells
- Convert heavy formulas to static values using Paste Special, then Values
- Delete or simplify charts and embedded images
- Save as a new copy and try printing again
6) Repair the Microsoft Office Installation
A corrupted Office installation can cause Excel to stop responding during printing.
- Open Control Panel and go to Programs and Features
- Find Microsoft Office in the list and click Change
- Select Quick Repair first and follow the prompts
- If the problem continues, run Online Repair for a deeper fix
- Restart your computer after the repair completes
7) Update Microsoft Excel
Running an outdated version of Excel means you may be hitting a bug that Microsoft has already patched.
- Open Excel and go to File, then Account
- Click Update Options
- Select Update Now
- Let the update finish and restart Excel
- Try printing your file again
Tips to Prevent Excel From Freezing During Printing
- Keep printer drivers updated at all times
- Avoid saving files with excessive or unnecessary formatting
- Update Microsoft Office regularly to get the latest bug fixes
- Use Print Preview before every print job to catch layout issues early
- Split very large files into smaller sections before printing
- Remove add-ins you no longer use to reduce background interference
Following these steps will fix Excel not responding when printing in most cases. Start from the top and work your way down until the issue is resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel freeze when I try to print?
Excel may freeze when printing because of outdated printer drivers, a stuck print spooler, large Excel files, damaged workbooks, add-in conflicts, or incorrect printer settings.
How do I stop Excel from freezing during printing?
Start by updating your printer driver, restarting the Print Spooler service, disabling Excel add-ins, and testing the file with Microsoft Print to PDF. You should also update Microsoft Office and Windows.
Can a corrupted Excel file cause printing problems?
Yes. A corrupted Excel workbook can make Excel freeze, crash, or stop responding while printing. Saving the file with a new name or copying the data into a new workbook may fix the issue.
Why does Excel freeze only with one printer?
If Excel freezes only with one printer, the problem is likely related to that printer driver, printer settings, or print queue. Try setting Microsoft Print to PDF as the default printer to test the issue.
Does Excel Safe Mode help fix printing issues?
Yes. Excel Safe Mode disables add-ins and custom settings. If Excel prints normally in Safe Mode, one of your add-ins may be causing the printing problem.
What should I do if Excel still freezes after trying basic fixes?
If Excel still freezes, repair Microsoft Office, reinstall the printer driver, clear the print queue, reduce workbook size, or save the worksheet as a PDF and print from the PDF file.
Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.