IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry.
Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the
registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the
Windows folder.
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To set an alternate startup folder in Microsoft Excel, on the Tools menu,
click Options, and then click the General tab. In the Alternate Startup
File Location box, type the full path to the folder. Microsoft Excel
will use the folder specified in this box to start any workbooks or
files it contains when you start Microsoft Excel. The Alternate Startup
folder is used in addition to the Xlstart folder.
In some cases, you may type the wrong folder path, for example
C:\DataFiles\. This may present problems
when you start Microsoft Excel and may cause the computer to stop
responding without giving you the opportunity to change your folder entry.
To change the Alternate Startup folder without starting Microsoft Excel,
on the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Run. In the Run box,
type
regedit. This will start an instance
of the Registry Editor.
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that
may require you to reinstall Windows. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be
solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Always make a backup of the Windows Registry before you modify any
settings. You can backup the entire Registry by copying System.dat and
User.dat or by exporting a single portion of the Registry using REGEDIT.
On the Registry Editor menu, click Edit, and then click Find. In the edit
box, type
altstartup. This entry should be
located on the right side of the screen under Name.
Microsoft Excel 97
For Microsoft Excel 97, look for the following AltStartup entry:
My Computer\HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel 7.0
For Microsoft Excel 7.0, look for the following AltStartup entry:
My Computer\HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Excel\7.0\Microsoft
Excel
If the AltStartup that is found is not the Microsoft Excel entry, press
F3 to find the next AltStartup entry.
When the correct entry has been found, you will see under Data the folder
you entered in Microsoft Excel from the Tools menu. Using the right mouse
button (right-click), click the entry AltStartup, and then click Modify.
By default, the entry in the Value Data box is the folder you typed, and
it will appear highlighted. To change the entry, type the correct full
path to the folder, and then click OK. To delete this entry, press DELETE.
Quit the Registry Editor and start Microsoft Excel.
For more information about modifying the Windows registry, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
136393 How to Modify the Windows Registry