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jfletcher's avatar
jfletcher
Copper Contributor
Jan 26, 2026

Formatting Issue

I have talked to support and told me to reach out here. I am trying to work on a school file and every time I go to click margins on the page layout tab, excel will say "not responding" nothing will work after that. Please help.

excel

2 Replies

  • Olufemi7's avatar
    Olufemi7
    Iron Contributor
    Jan 29, 2026

    Hijfletcher​, 

    When Excel freezes after clicking Margins in the Page Layout tab, it usually means Excel is having trouble communicating with the default printer driver. Here are the steps you can try:

     

    Change your default printer Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.

    • Set Microsoft Print to PDF as the default printer.
    • Reopen Excel and try adjusting margins again.

     

    Start Excel in Safe Mode Press Windows + R, type `excel /safe`, and hit Enter.

    • If margins work here, disable add‑ins under File > Options > Add‑ins.

     

    Update Excel Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.

     

    Repair Office : Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.

    • Select Microsoft Office, click Change, then choose Quick Repair. If that doesn’t help, run Online Repair.

     

    Test with another workbook If the issue only happens in one file, that file may be corrupted. Try margins in a blank workbook.

    For more details, see Microsoft’s official support pages:

     

    • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/set-page-margins-before-printing-a-worksheet-353f52fc-0d2c-4958-9166-99fbd22b963a
    • https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/excel-not-responding-hangs-freezes-or-stops-working-37e7d3c9-9e84-40bf-a805-4ca6853a1ff

    Try the printer fix first it often resolves this exact freeze.

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Platinum Contributor
    Jan 28, 2026

    To resolve Excel freezing when clicking the Margins button in the Page Layout tab, follow these steps:

    Cause

    Easy Fix for Users

    Zoom / Display scaling

    Make sure your Excel zoom is set to 100% (bottom-right corner). Then try Page Layout → Margins again.

    Add-ins

    Start Excel normally, and if it still freezes, open Excel in Safe Mode (hold Ctrl while starting Excel). Then go to File → Options → Add-ins and turn off any extra add-ins.

    Corrupted Settings

    Sometimes Excel settings get messed up. If issues continue, IT can reset Excel settings for you.

    Printer Drivers

    Excel checks your default printer when opening Margins. Set your default printer to Microsoft XPS Writer or OneNote.

    File Corruption

    If this file still freezes, try saving it as a new file (.xlsb) or use Open and Repair in Excel.

    Graphics Drivers

    If nothing else works, go to File → Options → Advanced → Display and disable hardware graphics acceleration (IT can help if you’re unsure).

    After these steps, Excel should respond normally when adjusting margins. If the issue persists, it may indicate a deeper system conflict (e.g., Windows update, antivirus interference), then needed more information .

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

     

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