Excel 2008 Freezing up...a lot

[captsalmon]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel This is not about the lack of VBA:

I work with large spreadsheet files, and up until now I have always work with PC-Excel (20 Mb files with lot-o-formulas and VBA macros running simulations). I decided to move to a Mac-world, but found out very quickly that Mac-Excel will simply collapse if I try to do anything like I used to with PC-Excel. Even just trying to save a large file will cause a complete freeze up of Mac-Excel 2008. Lots of Force Quit! program is basically of no value.

Is this a common problem? My computer is new and the software is from the Apple store.

I solved all my problems by installing VMware Fusion 3, Windows 7 and PC-Excel...but all this has cost about $500 more. Is there any hope in the future for Mac-Excel 2008? This solution seems a very expensive way to introduce myself to Mac.

 

[Web-pass.com]

I am in a very similar situation with the same results.. Just switched over to a Mac after 10+ years on a PC using Excel. After 4 months of using a Mac with Excel 2008 it has crashed more times than it ever did with a PC.

 

[XinXin]

Howdy. Could you please check whehther your MacOffice is update-to-date? The latest version is 12.2.3. You can check your update level by clicking the top level menu "Excel -> About Excel". Or you can check whether you need an update by "help -> Check for Updates".

If your software is up-to-date, and it still hangs when dealing with large files, could you please send me ([email protected]) a copy of workbook? I'd love to take a look at it.

Thanks,
XinXin
Macintosh Business Unit, Microsoft

 

[captsalmon]

I am in a very similar situation with the same results.. Just switched over to a Mac after 10+ years on a PC using Excel. After 4 months of using a Mac with Excel 2008 it has crashed more times than it ever did with a PC.

I hit the Apple store and a few other forums, but no one seems to know anything about this. I think it is because most folks don't push Excel as much as I (we) do, so it just isn't on anyones radar.

The whole thing is a mayor disappointment to me. For years I've looked on as all my friends have gone to Mac, but was holding off until I finished my dissertation, but now that I've dumped about 1500 bucks into a Mac and all the software so that I can get it to run as good as a PC, I am seriously down on the process.

Lately I've been playing around with Openoffice.org Calc, and it seems like a real alternative. The biggest limitation that I've found is that the OOo Basic is not as intuitive as VBA. And I'm concerned that Sun might drop support after the merger. cheers

 

[captsalmon]

I've already uninstalled (trashed) Mac-Excel 2008, and installed VM software so that I can use PC-Excel. I was more looking for an answer as to why Mac-excel is so bad. Cheers

 

[John McGhie]

Generally, it "isn't". There was an issue with PC Excel writing bad code
into spreadsheets which would cause Mac Excel to freeze.

That was resolved by an update to PC Excel.

As to how Office Excel got to be the way it is, Google for it: there are
thousands of pages of "discussion" which all came down to "This is as good
as they could get it, given the money, time, and people available when they
had to release the product."

Cheers

I've already uninstalled (trashed) Mac-Excel 2008, and installed VM software
so that I can use PC-Excel. I was more looking for an answer as to why
Mac-excel is so bad. Cheers

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]