How to Fix ‘Fixed Objects Will Move’ Error on Excel

Do you encounter a ‘fixed objects will move’ error on Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is the leading spreadsheet tool for data analysis. It features different tools for computations, graphs, pivot tables, and macro programming functions. This tool has been around for decades and is the go-to app for many people worldwide. 

Despite its status, Microsoft Excel is not perfect. Like any app, it can suffer from random errors and downtimes. 

One of the many error messages of Microsoft Excel is the ‘fixed objects will move’ error. When this prompt occurs, your worksheet will freeze, and nothing will work unless you completely close the app. 

Depending on the situation, this problem could be caused by software-related issues, outdated software, or incorrect usage of Excel features. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to fix the ‘fixed objects will move’ error in Excel. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Restart Your Computer. 

Before tweaking your configurations, you can try restarting your computer first if you encounter problems with Excel. This should allow your system to reload its resources and eliminate temporary errors in the process. 

Follow the guide below to restart your system: 

  1. First, press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu
  2. After that, access the Power Options tab. 
  3. Lastly, choose Restart and wait for your system to reboot. 
Restart PC

Go back to Excel afterward and check if the problem is solved. 

2. Save Your File As XLS. 

One of the quickest ways to fix this error on Microsoft Excel is to save your worksheet in .XLS format. While we can’t find any concrete explanation for why this works, you can try it out on your end. 

Simply click on File > Save As and choose the ‘Excel Workbook’ or ‘Excel 97-2003 Workbook’ option in the drop-down menu. 

3. Remove Fixed Objects. 

Another way to address this problem in Excel is to remove all the fixed objects in your worksheet. 

If you don’t know which objects are fixed, follow the guide below: 

  1. First, launch Microsoft Excel and open your worksheet. 
  2. After that, press CTRL + G on your keyboard to open the Go-To dialog box. 
  3. Now, click on the Special button. 
  4. On the next page, choose the Objects option under ‘Select’ and click OK. This should identify all the fixed objects in your worksheet. 
  5. Lastly, delete all fixed objects and restart Excel
fixed objects will move error on Excel

Try working on your file again and observe if you will still encounter the ‘fixed objects will move’ error. 

4. Update Microsoft Excel. 

You can try updating Microsoft Excel if you still encounter the ‘fixed objects will move’ error. The version you are using might have an underlying issue that causes the error. 

Check out the steps below to update Excel: 

  1. First, launch Microsoft Excel on your computer. 
  2. After that, click on File > Accounts
  3. Lastly, access the Update Options tab and click on Update Now or Enable Updates.
fixed objects will move error on Excel

Once done, go back to Microsoft Excel and see if the problem is solved. 

5. Inspect Your Document. 

If you still encounter the ‘fixed objects will move’ error on Microsoft Excel, you can try inspecting your worksheet and see if the tool finds any problem. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. First, click on the File tab in Microsoft Excel
  2. After that, choose Info and click on Check for Issues
  3. Now, select the Inspect Document option. 
  4. Lastly, click on ‘NO’ in the dialog box and follow the prompts to scan your worksheet. 
fixed objects will move error on Excel

Correct the problem before saving your file if the tool finds any issue.

That sums up our guide for fixing the ‘fixed objects will move’ error on Excel. If you have questions, please drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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