Customize how Excel starts

1. 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.

2. 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.

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
2. 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.

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
2. In Windows Explorer, go to \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Shortcut Bar\Office, and then delete the shortcut for Excel.
3. In Windows Explorer, go to \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11, right-click EXCEL.exe, and click Create Shortcut.
4. 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

5. Click OK.
6. 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.

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.
2. Clear the contents of the At startup, open all files in box.
3. Remove workbooks stored in the XLStart folder.
4. In Windows Explorer, remove the icon of the workbook you want to open in an alternate startup folder.
5. Remove a startup switch from the Excel icon.
6. 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.