Despite the fact that Microsoft Excel is one of the most commonly used programs at the moment, it is still not exempted from problems. One of the most notable issues that you’ll have to make do with is Excel running slow. This might be as a result of storing a lot of data in a single Excel file, making use of old graphics hardware or even volatile formulas.

The good news is you can prevent this from happening provided you understand what is expected of you. Here are some of the ways to avoid the common mistakes that make Excel run slow.

Keep Everything in a Single Workbook

One of the easiest ways of preventing Excel running slow issue involves placing everything in a single workbook. This does not mean you should keep everything in a single sheet for the sheer sake of it. Instead, start from top left and proceed right downwards as the dependence of the cells keeps on increasing.

Things should not stop there since you must also name the Excel sheets in an alphabetical order. Be sure to start with the sheet having data only after which you can proceed to the sheets with formulas.  Once done, make use of the references from other workbooks.

Do Away with Unwanted Formulas

For some people, this might sound useless and a waste of their precious time but unwanted formulas can be responsible for Excel running slow. There is no essence of leaving thousands of unused formulas like vlookups, and countifs yet they can serve their purpose. To be on the safe side, you ought to convert them to static values thus preventing your Excel from running too slow. This is just what you need to have an easy ride when working on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Final Thoughts

Mistakes are set to happen but this should never be the underlying reason why your Excel is running slow. The secret lies in learning from your mistakes and those made by your friends or colleagues and you are good to go.