Excel Suddenly Crashing on Print Preview

Brass Contributor

Just now, Excel has started crashing when I utilize print preview mode. It was working fine yesterday. I click the print preview option and the sheet crashes. It happens on any spreadsheet, even a new page with a single character in the middle of the page. It crashes if I select any printer destination, whether a physical printer (Canon) or print to PDF.

I updated ITunes and iCloud today, but can’t imagine that would impact Excel. My Microsoft update history indicates the last patch was 5/22/18. The event error log gives this information:

Faulting application name: EXCEL.EXE, version: 16.0.9330.2087, time stamp: 0x5b060fe4
Faulting module name: EXCEL.EXE, version: 16.0.9330.2087, time stamp: 0x5b060fe4

Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000a0a55
Faulting process id: 0x38c8

Faulting application start time: 0x01d3fa8e9729ef91

Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE
Report Id: d348a382-c7df-4370-975c-0039abd0fa64
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

I ran OffCat and it came back clean. It indicates that Excel 2016 is up to date. And I'm running Windows 10.  (I tried to attach the crash log but the web site gave me an error message "The contents of the attachment doesn't match its file type."  Nice.)

What happened and how do I fix this?

35 Replies

I discovered last night that Excel 2016 on my wife's Windows 10 laptop is experiencing the same failure during print preview, so this is not just my computer (which is a desktop).  Who else sees this?

It did happen to me a while back but appears to have fixed itself

 

Can you try using the Print Preview icon I've added to the toolbar on the attached file

 

Does that cause a crash also?

I use a print preview icon on a custom toolbar that I created for frequently used functions, if that's what you mean.  It happens either way.

What version do you have?  My wife and I have 1805 Build 9330.2087. OffCat says it's the latest version

Did you try the print preview icon in the file I attached? It may be different to the one you use. It's what I used to use to avoid the crash.

I'd  try the repair feature via add / remove programs  - Modify

 

 

Try the Quick Repair first, and if that doesn't work give the Online Repair a go

 

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I run my main machine on the older Semi-Annual channel version 1708 (August 2017 update) as it avoids some of the bugs you experience by being on the up to date Monthly channel.

I downloaded the sheet you created.  I don't see any print preview button other than the one i have in my custom toolbar, but the sheet crashes when I use that one or the one under the print option. 

 

I did just notice if i use the hotkeys Ctrl/F2, I get a different screen back under the File Tab that doesn't crash, but that's a much inferior view.

 

If Excel is crashing on multiple computers, it must be something that MicroSoft has done.  I will try the repair install when I get a chance, but there have got to be a slew of folks around the world with the same issue. 

I tried this, but no improvement. I suspect that the program is not broken but that the last patch is defective. Agree?

How do I get off of the monthly updates?  My last one seems to have been 5/30, about the time this started.....

Hi Scott can you attach a screenshot of your File > Account

 

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yes, sounds like it's clashing with something else, Maybe a printer driver or something

You could be right, but I'm suspecting it's a bad patch since my wife has the same thing too.  Do you have the same version of Excel?

No, I don't have the same version on this laptop I'm working on. I attached a screenshot of my version above, I'll try to check it out on the latest version this weekend (different pc).

Regarding moving off monthly updates, do you have the pro plus licence (see my screenshot above).

Do also have the latest Windows updates installed?

I have the same Excel crashing when attempting print preview. In my case the client is able to print the document but not print preview. They are, however, able to print and print preview in other Office products such as Word and Outlook. Even when the client switches printers in their organization Excel will still crash when attempting a print preview but not when printing, and the other Office products work fine with the other printers as well. 

 

Attached is a picture of the crash error that my client receives. 

Yep, another one of those fine, useless error messages with lotsa hexadecimal.....

I just tried it out on v1807 (insider channel) and seems to be OK, but it's most likely a combination of factors causing your issue. Keep checking for updates via File > Account.
I think you'll have to put up with the Ctrl F2 view for now.
If I hear of anything else I'll update you here

@Scott Cox  and @Christopher Hagerty  I'd encourage you both to go to File >  Feedback and "Send a Frown" with the opening line of the comment being " Excel Suddenly Crashing on Print Preview".    

 

The Excel team are watching these feedbacks and it's important to let them know when this sort of thing happens.

 

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Great idea!  I sent them most of my initial question at the top.  We'll see if it does any good.