changing default format with personal.xls

[jeffrey]

excel 2007
i am trying to get new worksheets to start with using text in all cells and
wordwrap. i unhide personal.xls, make the changes, save it. close and reopen
excel.

when i open a new worksheet, it is still the old default, though if i unhide
personal.xls it has the changes.

why don't new worksheets have the formatting changes made to personal.xls?
or, is there a different way to change the defaults?

 

[Dave Peterson]

Personal.xls isn't the spot for this kind of stuff.

You can create a new workbook template and save it in your XLStart folder.

Name it Book.xlt and do as much formatting as you want.

In xl2003, a new workbook will be created when you click on the New Icon on the
standard toolbar.

In xl2007, you may need to add that New Icon to the QAT (I'm not sure how xl2007
works).

ps.

If you create another workbook named Sheet.xlt (single worksheet???), then this
will be used when you add new worksheets to existing workbooks.

And now that I think of it, you may want to name the template file:
book.xltm
or
book.xltx

It'll depend on wether you have macros in that template file.

 

[jeffrey]

dave,
i'm not having any better luck with any of those 4 names, saved either to
xlstart or template folders.

jeffrey

 

[Dave Peterson]

I created a book.xlsx (no macros) in my XLStart folder. I changed the headers
and footers the way I like.

xl2007 and winXP:
C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Make sure you delete any other files that could conflict with this (use windows
search to find them all!).

Then add the New icon to the QAT and try clicking on that button.

If this doesn't work for you, it's time to share more details of what you tried.

dave,
i'm not having any better luck with any of those 4 names, saved either to
xlstart or template folders.

jeffrey

 

[jeffrey]

dave, i put an icon for book.xlt on toolbar. if i use that then i am getting
what i want in a new workbook. my confusion in the last post stemmed from
1. my thinking that "new icon in standard toolbar" could refer to clicking
'office button>new>blank workbook'. i assumed that this would take format
from the files in xlstart . and
2. not understanding the use of personal.xls vs book.xlt . ie what is the
point of personal.xls if it can't hold formats? i can see having several
different highly formated templates for different purposes, yet having a
basic format, personal.xls for general use, similar to normal.dot in word.
but apparently, somehow, it doesn't work that way.

jeffrey

 

[Dave Peterson]

#1. I would have guessed that clicking on File|New would use book.xlt, too.
But it doesn't. Go figure.

#2. Personal.xl* is used by most to make sure that any commonly used macros are
available when they open excel. Normal.dot has the code and the formatting
choices. That is different from the way excel works.

I guess you learned your lesson -- Stay away from MSWord!!! <vbg>

dave, i put an icon for book.xlt on toolbar. if i use that then i am getting
what i want in a new workbook. my confusion in the last post stemmed from
1. my thinking that "new icon in standard toolbar" could refer to clicking
'office button>new>blank workbook'. i assumed that this would take format
from the files in xlstart . and
2. not understanding the use of personal.xls vs book.xlt . ie what is the
point of personal.xls if it can't hold formats? i can see having several
different highly formated templates for different purposes, yet having a
basic format, personal.xls for general use, similar to normal.dot in word.
but apparently, somehow, it doesn't work that way.

jeffrey