Excel file crashes after Big Sur updates.

I've had lots of issues with Excel too since Big Sur - but the iCloud download worked, at least on one file tonight. Now Word...it hasn't been crashing but it certainly has its own mind and does whatever. Set black fonts and it changes it to two colors somewhere along the line. Can't shut down resume assistant even though it says it's off. Extremely difficult to reformat things from older files. And I was always great with Word on a PC! This is crazy....all I want to do is to be able to mail merge on my Mac but no, I have to purchase Office so I can do that!

Yeah, but I wanted Outlook and it's not included in 2019....simply because I want my own sound notifications for mail! Yeah, duh! I really don't get Apple's restrictions on some of their stuff!! I have this sexy male voice telling me "beautiful you have mail"...what's wrong with that?!? LOL. I just do the annual thing and you get all the programs. And that's because Apple (yes, again) did away with mail merge capability without your writing script and some convoluted method of making it work.

Professional version ($439) includes Outlook. $149 for student/home version offers only word, excel and powerpoint. I've been learning lots from MacMost tutorials for numbers and pages and could go with just those apps if I could mail merge. I have an inventory sheet and need to be able to print labels for new products. Think I'm going to have to come up with some other way to accomplish my goal this next year. Maybe Libre or some other free product offers what I want. Don't guess UK version would work in USA?????

Yes - Home/Business is $100 more and the only difference is including Outlook - $249.00. I just can't justify that for only the mail merge feature. I've gotten so used to my Mac that I don't remember - does Office provide updates for any specific time frame?

Yes, I can open the file in Numbers and it's fine. I think this is going to be my last year of Office...unless I decide to go back to work (or work part-time), just to stay capable in the programs. I did tons of classes working towards Office Certifications only to find that there was no place to do the testing to get the actual certification. And there was never any more money at any of the jobs for having the certification. Besides, I always knew more and was more capable than anyone else with Office anyway. Company would send you to a class - and I could have taught the class! Go to take a class just to see if there are any tips you're not aware of - and you get that one person in class who doesn't even know how to turn on the computer. So now I've decided to learn all I can about Numbers and Pages. I'm one of those key-stroke people though and it's really hard for me to not use those shortcuts from Office/PC on my Mac. Lots are the same but lots aren't. The ONE I really want in Numbers is to copy in a cell from the above cell - Command (Control) D in Excel...and Numbers you duplicate your sheet!

Well, it cost me £249.99 Sterling, so...

I needed it to work, and so gulped!

The Issue is what you are most used to and need!

I’ve run Excel files up to 2.7m data points, and find Numbers less Intuitive to use, but yes I use it! Some features are great, others just not as obvious! The reading option under access is great in Pages! I began using it working with a sight impaired colleague that recommended it!

Best of luck whichever route you go!

I'm trying to retrain my brain to stop with all the keystroke shortcuts but after as many years as I worked, that's hard to stop. Yes, there's a difference in Numbers - just not sure exactly what, but may be less intuitive as you say. I'll check out the reading option and see what I think.

If you want to learn little tips and tricks check out MacMost, most is free but he does offer classes. I've learned quite a bit, especially Automator. https://macmost.com

Thanks, and good luck!

I’m sure it’s a case of getting used to it! I got used to reading and editing text in Pages as a result of a project I was involved in, but I wasn’t doing the formatting! I have two colleagues that swear by it! On Excel vs Numbers, I do prefer Excel! that’s probably just conditioning?

Yes, conditioning is a big deal - and what, 40 years of finger memory/experience.

Tables in Numbers are certainly easier to create - and place one side by side. I'm learning and I'll probably swear by it all soon!! lol

Since Big Sur update if i try to link data from one existing excel file to another (which previously worked fine for years!) Excel crashes completely. I am not very techy so can anyone advise how to resolve this issue? Thanks.

Thanks LJ - i tried this & although it worked the first time i linked a file, the second time i tried Excel crashed again. I think it must be related to the Big Sur update as was fine before that.

CL, Does your Excel try to open jpg and all sorts of other files too??? Then you just get garbled stuff. I may not have used Excel until recently since Big Sur update and may have just missed problems, or the latest update. I know Word is funky too.

Thanks, but no intention of spending that much money for Office 2019 just to be able to do a little mail merge. I'll not renew my Office next year and in the meanwhile I'll see how free WPS or Libre works for my needs...simply because Numbers no longer mail merges without script.

me too ! but my problem occurred in pages , need solution too

No, I am running Big Sur 11.1 and Excel 16.44 and have no problems opening .xls files.

Thank you for the information.