Workbook vs. personal excel workbook vs. template workbook

[kevs]

Everything was going great, but all sudden, new folder or new workbook not
working, bring up a default. So I have personal macro workbook, can't
remember what this is for
I have two workbook in startup folder, no extension.
The right file comes up on launch, but new file default.
I've tried saving as template without extension.

Honesty, this problem resurfaces every six months, I go to my notes and my
head spins-- can't figure out why the need for this complexity.

OS 10.4.1
Office 2004

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Everything was going great, but all sudden, new folder or new workbook not
working, bring up a default. So I have personal macro workbook, can't
remember what this is for
I have two workbook in startup folder, no extension.
The right file comes up on launch, but new file default.
I've tried saving as template without extension.

Honesty, this problem resurfaces every six months, I go to my notes and my
head spins-- can't figure out why the need for this complexity.

OS 10.4.1
Office 2004

First - it may help to read the "default workbook template" section in
XL Help.

All files in your startup folder will be opened when XL starts.

If you have a template file named "Workbook" (no quotes, no extension),
then that file will be used as the default template when File/New is
called.

If you have two files named "Workbook", then they either have different
extensions, or perhaps there's a trailing space character in one of the
names.

It's convenient to store macros that will be used in multiple workbooks
in a workbook that's opened automatically. "Personal Macro Workbook" is
the default name of the workbook that XL creates when you choose to
store a recorded macro. There's nothing special about Personal Macro
Workbook - it's a regular workbook like any other. It *is* hidden (using
Window/Hide) and you can unhide it (Window/Unhide), which is convenient,
since you usually don't want to have the workbook's worksheets visible.

 

[kevs]

Thanks JE:
Ok this is the deal:
I have two files in my Excel start up folder. They are both names workbook
without the extension.
One is template (for the new files), and the other is regular workbook.

And if I double click either, they bring up my wonderful customized
workbook.

But.... If I quit/launch Excel -- a default workbook comes up!

Kevs

First - it may help to read the "default workbook template" section in
XL Help.

All files in your startup folder will be opened when XL starts.

If you have a template file named "Workbook" (no quotes, no extension),
then that file will be used as the default template when File/New is
called.

If you have two files named "Workbook", then they either have different
extensions, or perhaps there's a trailing space character in one of the
names.

It's convenient to store macros that will be used in multiple workbooks
in a workbook that's opened automatically. "Personal Macro Workbook" is
the default name of the workbook that XL creates when you choose to
store a recorded macro. There's nothing special about Personal Macro
Workbook - it's a regular workbook like any other. It *is* hidden (using
Window/Hide) and you can unhide it (Window/Unhide), which is convenient,
since you usually don't want to have the workbook's worksheets visible.

OS 10.4.1
Office 2004

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I have two files in my Excel start up folder. They are both names workbook
without the extension.
One is template (for the new files), and the other is regular workbook.

And if I double click either, they bring up my wonderful customized
workbook.

But.... If I quit/launch Excel -- a default workbook comes up!

OK, I'm confused. Mac OS prevents two files in the same folder from
having the same name, even if they're of different internal types. What
you're describing shouldn't be possible.

In any case, I'd suggest moving the regular workbook and restarting XL.

You should also check that the template file is in the correct folder -
it should be in

HD:Applications:Microsoft Office 2004:Office:Startup:Excel:

OR, if in Preferences/General you've set an "Alternate startup file
location", the template should be in THAT folder, instead.

 

[kevs]

JE:
Thanks for great info.
Ok,
In the MUD folder in excel start up folder I just now have one file in there
called workbook, no extension. It's just Microsoft excel workbook. If I
click on it direct, my customized workbook comes up.

But when quit/relaunch Excel, a default workbook comes up!

Lets start with that. Thanks.

OK, I'm confused. Mac OS prevents two files in the same folder from
having the same name, even if they're of different internal types. What
you're describing shouldn't be possible.

In any case, I'd suggest moving the regular workbook and restarting XL.

You should also check that the template file is in the correct folder -
it should be in

HD:Applications:Microsoft Office 2004:Office:Startup:Excel:

OR, if in Preferences/General you've set an "Alternate startup file
location", the template should be in THAT folder, instead.

OS 10.4.1
Office 2004

 

[Bernard Rey]

Things do not seem too clear to me, so it's difficult to give an accurate
answer. The Excel Startup Folder should not be in the MUD as you seem to
mention it is, but in the application folder, as JE McGimpsey described it:

Did you create an extra "Excel Startup" folder in your MUD? If yes, did you
set that as "Alternate startup file location" in the "General" tab of the
"Preferences"? If not, have you tried placing your custom workbook in the
default startup folder (the one in the application folder)?

JE:
Thanks for great info.
Ok,
In the MUD folder in excel start up folder I just now have one file in there
called workbook, no extension. It's just Microsoft excel workbook. If I
click on it direct, my customized workbook comes up.

But when quit/relaunch Excel, a default workbook comes up!

Lets start with that. Thanks.

 

[kevs]

Thanks so much Bernard, and thank you too JE.

Yes your are right!
I've been focusing on the " excel start up folder' in MUD and not in Apps.

I think everything is ok now. I now have two files called workbook without
extension, and one is template (for the "new", files) in apps folder

But I'm curious, then, what is the excel start up folder' in MUD for?????


Kevs

Things do not seem too clear to me, so it's difficult to give an accurate
answer. The Excel Startup Folder should not be in the MUD as you seem to
mention it is, but in the application folder, as JE McGimpsey described it:


Did you create an extra "Excel Startup" folder in your MUD? If yes, did you
set that as "Alternate startup file location" in the "General" tab of the
"Preferences"? If not, have you tried placing your custom workbook in the
default startup folder (the one in the application folder)?

OS 10.4.1
Office 2004

 

[JE McGimpsey]

But I'm curious, then, what is the excel start up folder' in MUD for?????

Presumably because you put it there, perhaps because you wanted it to be
safe from deletion by Remove Office. No Office application creates a
startup folder in the MUD folder.

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Presumably because you put it there, perhaps because you wanted it to be
safe from deletion by Remove Office. No Office application creates a
startup folder in the MUD folder.

You can keep it there, then make an alias to it in the correct location in
Microsoft Office 2004 folder. That's what I do.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

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