Home Forums Mac Software Mac Applications Excel: the annoying/ harassing beast

Excel, has become this annoying beast on my laptop/desktop. Everytime I launch, the last four workbooks come up and want to know if I want to save the last saved version.

How can I be left alone? Thanks.

(I posted on Excel forum, no luck so far)

Which version?

Mac 2016 Excel

Okay. I'm only Office 11 (V14.7.7) and don't have your issue but, because I'm thinking of progressing to 2019 for security reasons, I'm interested in what resolves it for you.

I don't know how much the Preferences change from one version to another but, in 2011 under Preferences>General, there is an option to "Show the number of recent documents".

It's supposed to control the number of documents shown in the "Open Recent" submenu under "File" but who knows? Maybe, if you have a hiccup, it changes other views. Might be worth trying a set to “0".

Another “stab at it”, if you have Cocktail, would be to open Cocktail and go to System>Databases and try “Restore default file associations”. I have an oddball issue with Apple Mail where it periodically decides it can’t file items. I just “Restore default file associations” and Apple Mail starts working properly again.

I don’t know why that always works with Mail but it may be worth a try with your Excel issue.

Rick, I don't think recents have anything to do with 5 docs jumping out on the screen.

I don't do stabs, I only do what people say solved the issue.

Which is what I said…just thought it worth a try when the issue has become such an “annoying beast”.


I only suggested it because this site and innumerable others have lots of recommendations that are “why not give this a try” suggestions. And, I have always found that the authors of preventive maintenance programs with the stature of Cocktail will issue a strong caution if they believe use of a tactic has any potential to be counterproductive or harmful.

But, it’s your choice….I’ll bow out. Good luck, I hope you get it solved.

I haven't had a version of Excel since I worked for Microsoft and that was over twenty years ago, but that kind of behavior in any application would lead me to suspect a corrupted .plist (property list, a.k.a. preference) file.

The fix is easy, delete the offending file and Excel will recreate a new uncorrupted replacement automatically. The trick is in identifying what file to delete. IF I am correct in my assessment, and IF Microsoft followed Apple's recommended programming practices — two big IFs — the offending file would...

• ...be in ~/Library/Preferences or ~/Library/Application Support/Excel (or folder with Excel in the name) Remember ~/ indicates the Library folder in your user home folder
• ...have Excel in the file name
• ...have an extension of .plist

The procedure:

1. Boot your computer, but DO NOT launch Excel
2. Move suspect file(s) to the desktop and note carefully where they came from
3. Launch Excel
4. If the problem disappeared delete the moved files on the desktop
5. If the problem did NOT disappear you can restore all your settings by quiting Excel and putting the moved files back where they came from and begin some serious troubleshooting.

Thanks Joe, what is the suspected file or files?

BTW I'm not on Catalina, could that be culprit?

Have you tried shutting down (NOT restarting) your Mac and then starting it up again?

Did full shutdown; no effect whatsoever; Today I open excel file and 5 files that are not one I want open up asking to be save again, or something like that.

Try following joemike's "The procedure:" with ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Excel.plist IF you've got it.

I say "IF" because Apple changed the location of some support files from ~/Library/Application Support to ~/Library/Containers at some point, and depending on which version of macOS you're running you may or may not have the referenced file.

I just found a second possible culprit: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Excel.securebookmarks.plist

More: If I hit the correct files, your workbooks may open the first time you launch Excel. If they do, quit them and see what happens next time.

Deleted that on both computers thanks.

Testing still. I get this message often, "... saved last file would you like to open". Now, I click, no cancel. Then I have to click again 2nd time the file I really wanted open, and then it opens without 4-5 files opening I don't want open. So some progress.

What is this annoying: saved the file would you like to open? Anyway to disable that?

I've never seen that message or, for that matter, run into your issue on any level.

Did you delete both of the files I posted, or just one of them as it kinda sounds? If only one, go back and do both at once.