Software
Excel Black Boxes Display Issue
Fix black boxes appearing in Excel toolbar and interface elements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Click a step to expand and view images
1
Close all Microsoft Office applications completely
2
Open any Microsoft Office program (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
3
Click on the 'File' tab in the upper left corner
4
Select 'Options' from the left navigation menu
5
In the popup window, select 'Advanced' from the left navigation menu
6
Scroll down to find the 'Display' section
7
Check the box next to 'Disable hardware graphics acceleration'
8
Click 'OK' to save the changes
9
Close all Office applications completely
10
Restart your computer to apply the changes
11
Open Excel to verify the black boxes are resolved
Helpful Tips
- If the first method doesn't work, try updating your display drivers
- Also update all Microsoft Office applications to the latest version
- For Outlook specifically: Go to Options > Advanced > Disable hardware graphics acceleration
- This is a known graphics rendering issue that affects some systems randomly
- Users with similar computers may not experience this issue - it's system-specific
- The hardware acceleration setting affects all Office applications
- Contact IT if the problem persists after trying these solutions