How to use the Excel startup folders in Excel 2000 (240150)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to use Microsoft Excel startup folders.

Microsoft Excel uses startup folders in two ways:

• To load Excel files at startup
  
  -and-
  
  
• As a reference location for templates

The actual startup folder locations can vary depending on which version of Excel you are using.

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Folders That Excel Uses at Startup

If you install Excel to the default location, Excel opens files from the paths shown later in this article.

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Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Xlstart
• C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\Xlstart
  
  NOTE: If you have Profiles enabled, the path to the XLStart folder is instead:
  
  C:\Windows\Profiles\User name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\Xlstart
• The folder specified in the Alternate startup file location box on the General tab of the Options dialog box (on the Tools menu, click Options).

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Microsoft Windows NT 4.0

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Xlstart
• C:\Winnt\Profiles\User name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\Xlstart
  
  where User name is your login user name.
• The folder specified in the Alternate startup file location box on the General tab of the Options dialog box (on the Tools menu, click Options).

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Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Xlstart
• C:\Documents and Settings\User name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART
  
  where User name is your login user name.
• The folder specified in the Alternate startup file location box on the General tab of the Options dialog box (on the Tools menu, click Options).

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Accepted File Types During Excel Startup

You typically use startup folders to load Excel templates and add-ins, but you can also use them to load workbooks. When you load these three types of files from a startup folder, they have the following important characteristics.

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Templates

• Templates (*.xlt) that you place in a startup folder are not loaded when you start Excel, but you can use the templates by clicking New on the File menu.
• If you save a workbook called Book.xlt and place it in a startup folder location, that workbook becomes the default workbook when you start Excel, and when you open any additional new workbooks.

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Add-Ins

• Add-Ins (*.xla) that you place in a startup folder do not typically appear when you start Excel, but are loaded in memory and run any auto macros.
• You can then use these add-ins by whatever method the add-in provides (that is, a menu item or toolbar button).

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Workbooks

• Workbooks (*.xls) that you place in a startup folder are loaded and appear when you start Excel, unless the workbook is saved in a hidden state. For example, the personal macro workbook Personal.xls is a global macro workbook that Excel typically loads from the XLStart folder in a hidden state.

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Incorrect Use of the Alternate Startup File Location

• When using the alternate startup file location, it is important to specify a file path in which there are recognizable file types (such as templates, add-ins, and workbooks).
• If Excel finds unrecognizable file types in a startup folder, you may receive an error message. The most common error message is:
  This file is not a recognizable format.

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How to Use the Default File Location

• In addition to the alternate startup file location, the Default file location setting is also on the General tab in the Options dialog box. This setting is different from a startup folder; it sets the folder location that you want Excel to point to when you open or save a file by using the File menu.

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