Customize how Excel opens

Do any of the following:

Open a workbook automatically

• In the Finder, move the workbook that you want to use to the /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel folder.

  If the workbook that you want to use is stored on a network drive, or if you don't want to move the workbook from its current location, create an alias for the file. For help with creating aliases, see Apple Help.

  Tip: By default, Excel automatically opens files located in the /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel folder. To specify an alternate startup folder, on the Excel menu, click Preferences, click General, and then in the At startup, open all files in box, type the location of the files that you want Excel to open automatically.

Open all the workbooks in a folder

• In the Finder, move all workbooks that you want to use to /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel.

  If the workbooks that you want to use are stored on a network drive, or if you don't want to move the workbooks from their current location, create an alias for these files. For help with creating aliases, see Apple Help.

  Tip: By default, Excel automatically opens files located in the /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel folder. To specify an alternate startup folder, on the Excel menu, click Preferences, click General, and then in the At startup, open all files in box, type the location of the files that you want Excel to open automatically.

Stop a workbook from opening automatically

Excel automatically opens files that are stored in either the Excel Startup folder or an alternate startup folder.

• To prevent a file from opening each time you open Excel, move the workbook from either the /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel folder or the alternate startup folder to a different folder.

  Tip: By default, Excel automatically opens files located in the /Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Excel folder. To specify an alternate startup folder, on the Excel menu, click Preferences, click General, and then in the At startup, open all files in box, type the location of the files that you want Excel to open automatically.

Hide the Excel Workbook Gallery

1. On the Excel menu, click Preferences.

2. Under Authoring, click General  .

3. Clear the Open Excel Workbook Gallery when application opens check box.

   The next time that you open Excel, it opens a blank workbook.

See also

Change the usual file format for saving workbooks