At one point or another, every Excel pro has encountered a workbook so massive and so complex that even simple workbook updates grind things to a complete halt.

In this tip, we’ll take a moment to talk about formula calculation modes, and when it might be appropriate to switch from automatic (default) to manual.

COMMON USE CASES:

• Switching large, formula-heavy files to manual mode while editing to prevent automatic recalculation
• Allowing formulas to calculate automatically with the exception of data tables (which typically iterate over a very large number of rows)