IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY
This article describes how to remove recently used templates from the Most Recently Used (MRU) files list on the
File menu and from the
New from template list in the
New Workbook task pane.
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve
problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own
risk.
back to the top
Save Existing Registry Information
- Quit all Microsoft Office programs.
- Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
- Click to expand the following subkey in the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Excel
- On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.
The Export Registry File dialog box appears. - In the File name box, type C:\Export to Excel, and then click Save.
back to the top
How to Remove a Template from the MRU List
- Click Recent Files.
- In the Name list, click Filenumber, where Filenumber corresponds to the template file in the Data list that you want to remove.
NOTE: The values in the Name list are displayed in numerical order. - On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes on the Confirm Value Delete message box.
- Rename any values in the Name list that are not in numeric order. To do so, follow these steps:
- In the Name list, right-click the value that you want to rename.
- On the shortcut menu that appears, click Rename.
- Edit the number at the end of Filenumber to place the values in numerical order.
NOTE: The list should appear similar to the following:
Name Data
(Default) {value not set}
File1 "C:\My Documents\myworksheet.xls"
File2 C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\mytemplate2.xlt"
File3 "C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Templates\mytemplate3.xlt"
back to the top
How to Remove a Template from the Templates List in the Task Pane
- Click Recent Templates.
- In the Name list, click the Templatenumber value that corresponds to the template in the Data list that you want to remove.
NOTE: The values in the Name list are displayed in alphanumeric order. - On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then on the Confirm Value Delete message box, click Yes.
- Click the Friendlynumber value that has the same number as that of the Templatenumber value that you removed in step 3.
- On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then on the Confirm Value Delete message box, click Yes.
- Rename any values in the Name list that are not in alphanumeric order. To do so, follow these steps:
- In the Name list, right-click the value that you want to rename.
- On the shortcut menu that appears, click Rename.
- Edit the number at the end of Friendlynumber or Templatenumber to place the values in alphanumeric order.
NOTE: The list should appear similar to the following:
Name Data
(Default) {value not set}
Friendly1 "Balance Sheet"
Friendly2 ""
Template1 "C:\Program Files\MicrosoftOffice\Templates\1033\BalanceSheet.xlt"
Template2 "C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Templates\mytemplate2.xlt"
- Quit Registry Editor.
- Restart the computer.
In the following registry subkey
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Excel\Recent Templates
Friendlynumber and
Templatenumber both refer to the same template. The
Friendlynumber Data value contains the name of the template, and the
Templatenumber Data value points to the path of that template file.
For example, if
Friendly2 contains a
Data value of
Sales Invoice,
Template2 will contain a
Data value that is the path to the Sales Invoice template.
Name Data
(Default) {value not set}
Friendly2 "Sales Invoice"
Template2 "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\1033\SalesInvoice.xlt"
Custom templates may have a
Friendlynumber value that is empty. The corresponding
Templatenumber value will contain the full path to the location of that custom template. For example:
Name Data
(Default) {value not set}
Friendly1 ""
Template1 "C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Templates\mytemplate.xlt"
back to the top
REFERENCES
For more information about the MRU list, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
284896
The "Most recently used" list is missing from the File menu, and the "Recently used file list" option is unavailable in Office XP and in Office 2003
280591 OFFXP: Unable to Move Menu Commands Below the List of Most Recently Used Files
307949 HOW TO: Configure a System Policy to Control the Recently Used File List in an Office XP Program
back to the top