OFF: Shortcut "Start In" Doesn't Change Default File Location (135395)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Office for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q135395

SYMPTOMS

When you create a shortcut to an Office application, such as Microsoft Excel, if you enter a path in the Start In box (on the Shortcut tab) in the Properties dialog box, the path is ignored when you start the application.

CAUSE

When you create a shortcut for a program in Windows 95, you can specify a working folder using the Start In box on the Shortcut tab in the shortcut Properties dialog box. This method works when you create a shortcut for the Windows programs WordPad and Notepad, for example. The Office programs, however, do not use the path in the Start In box for the shortcut. Instead, each of the Office programs uses a File Locations value that is set using the Options dialog box in that program.

When you install an Office program, the default file location is the My Documents folder. This remains the default file location until you change this setting using the Options dialog box in the program.

WORKAROUND

To set the default file location in one of the Office programs, do the following:

In Microsoft Excel

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the General tab.
  2. In the Default File Location box, enter the new default folder, such as C:\Worksheets. Click OK.
Note also that you can use a startup switch to change the working folder. For more information about command line switches, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

134742 Office: Using Startup Switches for Programs on Shortcut Bar

In Word

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the File Locations tab.
  2. In the list of file types and locations, click Documents, then click the Modify button.
  3. In the Modify Location dialog box, select the folder for the new default location, then click OK.
  4. Close the Options dialog box.

In PowerPoint



  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Advanced tab.
  2. In the Default File Location box, enter the new default folder, such as C:\Slides. Click OK.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/16/2005
Keywords:kbenv kbprb kbualink97 KB135395
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