Excel: Customizing Default Document Templates

ID: Q83815

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel 4.0, you can modify the built-in templates in order to change the appearance or functionality of a default document.

To modify a default file for Microsoft Excel on the Macintosh, save a document of the same name in Template format in the Microsoft Excel Startup folder. On the Macintosh, the default startup directory is called Excel Startup Folder (4) in the System Folder (in System Folder:Preferences in System 7.0). In Microsoft Excel for Windows, the default startup directory is called XLSTART in the EXCEL directory.


MORE INFORMATION

The default worksheet, macro sheet, and chart may be changed by saving templates with the following names: 


                              Template Name

   Document Type       Macintosh        Windows
   ---------------------------------------------

   Worksheet           Worksheet        SHEET.XLT
   Chart               Chart            CHART.XLT
   Macro sheet         Macro            MACRO.XLT


For example, to modify the default Worksheet template in Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, save a template named "Worksheet" (without the quotation marks) in the Excel Startup folder:

  1. Create a document to be used as the default template.


  2. From the File menu, choose Save As.


  3. Direct the Save As dialog box to the Excel Startup Folder (4) on the Macintosh or XLSTART directory under Windows.


  4. In the Save As dialog box, choose Options.


  5. From the File Format list, select Template.


  6. Change the name to "Worksheet" and choose Save.


The next time you start Microsoft Excel, the custom worksheet template will appear as Worksheet1 (Sheet1 in Microsoft Excel for Windows).

To modify the default chart or macro sheet, follow steps 1 through 4 above. At step 5, select the appropriate file format. At step 6, change the name to match the file format you selected in step 5.

The default workbook cannot be modified workbooks are not based on a template.

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Last Reviewed: March 24, 1999