Customize how Excel starts

You can find XLStart folders in C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel or in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11.

In Windows Explorer, move the icon of the workbook you want to open to an alternate startup folder.
If you want to keep the workbook in its current location, use the Create Shortcut command on the File menu to create a shortcut to the workbook, and then move the shortcut to an alternate startup folder.
Restart Excel.
Tip

To open a group of related workbooks when you start Excel, save the workbooks in a workspace file, and then place the workspace file in an alternate startup folder.

Caution Because Excel will attempt to open every file in the alternate startup folder, make sure you specify an empty folder or a folder that contains only files that Excel can open.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
In the At startup, open all files in box, type the path to the alternate startup folder.

Note If a file with the same name is in both the XLStart folder and the alternate startup folder, the file in the XLStart folder opens.

On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
In Windows Explorer, go to \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Shortcut Bar\Office, and then delete the shortcut for Excel.
In Windows Explorer, go to \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11, right-click EXCEL.exe, and click Create Shortcut.

Right-click the shortcut you created, click Properties, and then modify the path in the Target box with switches from the table.

For example, to open the workbook Actuarial Lists.xls, type a space after the path in the Target box, and then type:

C:\Reference Data\Actuarial Lists.xls

To start Excel and	Type
Open a specific workbook	workbook path/file name
Open a specific workbook as read-only	/r workbook path/file name
Prevent display of the Excel startup screen and a new blank workbook	/e
Specify the working folder Note The folder specified in the startup switch is used instead of the location specified in the Default file location box on the General tab (Tools menu, Options command).	/p folder path/folder name
Specify Office Safe Mode	/safe

Click OK.
Move the shortcut to \Windows\Documents and Settings\Start Menu.

Note Your custom shortcut may be replaced by a Windows Installer shortcut if you name the shortcut Microsoft Excel, and either of the following are true:

You use the Detect and Repair command in Microsoft Office, and you selected the Repair my shortcuts while repairing check box.
You select the Repair Office option in Maintenance Mode setup, click the Repair errors in my Office installation option, and then select the Restore My Shortcuts check box.

If a Windows Installer shortcut replaces your custom shortcut, you must re-create your custom, non-Windows Installer, shortcuts.

This procedure clears all ways in which a workbook could be loaded.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
Clear the contents of the At startup, open all files in box.
Remove workbooks stored in the XLStart folder.
In Windows Explorer, remove the icon of the workbook you want to open in an alternate startup folder.
Remove a startup switch from the Excel icon.
Right-click the Excel icon that you want to use to open Excel, and clear the contents of the Target box.

Automatic macros, such as Auto_Open, are designed to run when you start Excel. For more information about these macros, see Microsoft Visual Basic Help.

To prevent macros from automatically running, hold down SHIFT while you start Excel.
Note If you start Excel from the Office Shortcut Bar, click the Microsoft Excel button on the Office Shortcut Bar first, and then immediately hold down SHIFT while Excel starts.

Show Settings that can be saved

Formatting

Cell and sheet formats. Set by using the commands on the Format menu.

Page formats and print area settings for each sheet.

Cell styles.

The number and type of sheets in a workbook.

Protected and hidden areas of the workbook. You can hide sheets, rows, and columns and prevent changes to worksheet cells.

Text, data, graphics, and formulas

Text you want to repeat, such as page headers and row and column labels.

Data, graphics, formulas, charts, and other information.

Data validation settings.

Toolbars, automation, and Option settings

Custom toolbars, macros, hyperlinks, and ActiveX controls on forms. To make a custom toolbar available, attach the toolbar to the template.

Workbook calculation options and window view options. Set with the Options command (Tools menu).

Show Create a template

Decide which type of template you want:

Workbook template

Create a workbook that contains the sheets, default text (such as page headers and column and row labels), formulas, macros, styles, and other formatting you want in new workbooks based on the template.

Worksheet template

Create a workbook that contains one worksheet. On the worksheet, include the formatting, styles, text, and other information you want to appear on all new sheets of the same type.
To display a picture of the first page of a template in the Preview box of the Templates dialog box (General Templates..., New Workbook task pane), click Properties on the File menu, click the Summary tab, and then select the Save preview picture check box.
On the File menu, click Save As.
In the Save as type box, click Template.
In the Save in box, select the folder where you want to store the template.
- To create the default workbook template or default worksheet template, select either the XLStart folder or the alternate startup folder. The XLStart folder is usually
  
  C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\XLStart
- To create a custom workbook or worksheet template, select the Templates folder, which is usually
  
  C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates
Enter the name of the template in the File name box. Do one of the following:

Workbook template
- Type book to create the default workbook template.
  
  To create a custom workbook template, type any valid file name.
Worksheet template
- Type sheet to create a template for default worksheets.
  
  To create a custom sheet template, type any valid file name.
Click Save, and then click Close on the File menu.