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Problem: Excel frequently freezes/hangs for about 5 minutes when copying data from one cell to another. Some of the associated symptoms with the issue include the following:

  • CPU usage spikes for Excel, seemingly consuming an entire core, and the fans begin to run hard
  • Task manager's "Analyze wait chain" tool shows that Excel is waiting on the print spooler, "splwow64.exe" see screenshot. Unclear to me if this is related.
  • Excel is unresponsive for a long period of time, typically 5-10 minutes, after which it recovers but remains extremely slow while the copy operation is active (i.e. while the dotted lines are around the cell)
  • If I go to another open window (for instance, Chrome) and copy something from there, Excel recovers immediately.
  • I'm using Office 365, version 2108 on Windows 10 x64, both up-to-date.
  • My PC has a recent Intel Core i7 processor with plenty of free disk space and memory.
  • The issue occurs across multiple Excel files (not based on any shared template). My excel files are relatively small and have neither macros nor conditional formatting.
  • I have also found that trying to link a formula in one sheet to a cell in another sheet can trigger the issue and is resolved by pressing the "Esc" key

Attempted solutions: I have made numerous attempts over the past few months to debug and resolve this issue, including the following (many sourced from this similar thread):

  • Rebooted, reinstalled Office; "repaired" my Office installation
  • Disabled Excel add-ins
  • Replaced the PC with a new PC (but reinstalled programs and HP printer)
  • Changed the default printer to "Microsoft Print to pdf"
  • Uninstalled the printer and print driver (which was an HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw)
  • Attempted to remove any traces of the HP printer from the registry
  • Unchecked "Show Paste Options button when content is pasted" in Options > Advanced > "Cut, copy, and paste"
  • Added a registry key to set the splwow64 timeout (SplWOW64TimeOutSeconds, Value: 3) as suggested on this thread

I would much appreciate any help in trying to resolve this frustrating and productivity destroying issue. Thank you

RKM
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  • Does this happen if you boot in Safe mode? – harrymc Sep 23 '21 at 19:34
  • @harrymc is suggesting running [Excel in safe mode](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/excel-not-responding-hangs-freezes-or-stops-working-37e7d3c9-9e84-40bf-a805-4ca6853a1ff4#:~:text=Safe%20mode%20lets%20you%20start,program%20from%20the%20command%20line.) I would assume. Does this worksheet have macros enabled? Are these worksheets located on the local system or on a network drive? – Ramhound Sep 23 '21 at 19:38
  • @Ramhound: Your suggestion is certainly useful and should be done, but I was asking more about [Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 10](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/start-your-pc-in-safe-mode-in-windows-10-92c27cff-db89-8644-1ce4-b3e5e56fe234). – harrymc Sep 23 '21 at 19:48
  • I have not tried Safe mode, either starting Excel in safe mode no Win10 in Safe Mode, but I can give that a shot. – RKM Sep 23 '21 at 20:48
  • Worksheets are located on local system, macros not enabled. @Ramhound – RKM Sep 23 '21 at 20:49
  • When I googled `splwow64` it talked about it being a 64 bit to 32 bit print spooler process (that can be leaky). Is your version of excel 32 or 64 bit? – gns100 Sep 23 '21 at 21:33
  • Try to open as Administrator, change the Windows login account. – Lee Sep 24 '21 at 07:46
  • Is it a single cell to single cell or large amounts of data? Is the data formatted or have conditional formatting? If large data set, do you have disable undo for large data models unchecked? Do you have iterative calculations enabled? Is it one file, all files? Are there lots of formulas, arrays, named ranges, comments, or external links? – David S Sep 24 '21 at 17:36
  • Two things. Make sure you have x64 office installed. x86 only gets access to 4 gb of ram. Second, be aware of how excel’s recalculation process and dependency trees work. There are lots of inefficient ways to bog down excel with seemingly simple spreadsheets. Excel is clearly chunking away at something, it’s likely to be a less than efficient orchestration or calculations. If you don’t have time to learn about efficiency, and I would make time, then aggressively copy and paste static values wherever possible. This prevents unnecessary recalculation of the dependency tree. – sadtank Sep 25 '21 at 08:08

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