Changed Excel 2003 startup now won't save to default location

[Guest]

Using Excel 2003 and changed the startup layout of the workbook (changed
background color and added borders on all cells). Also changed the default
save location as well as auto recover location to the network. Until today,
when user opened Excel it opened correctly and she could click the save
button and it would automatically point to the network. Now, it is
overwriting the startup document. Any suggestions as to why this is
happening and how to correct. She doesn't want to use a template....just
wants to open Excel and have it look the way she wants immediately.

 

[Dave Peterson]

If you open a workbook in xl2k and higher, then do file|SaveAs, excel will go to
the folder that held the original workbook.

If that user wants to change the layout, then she should be using a template
file (*.xlt). Then excel will use the default file location as the save
location.

Is there a reason she doesn't want to use a template file--that technique is
pretty normal for most people.

 

[Guest]

She is a very basic user who needs to be able to click the Excel icon on the
quick launch toolbar or double-click the shortcut icon on the desktop and
have the application open looking the way she wants it (blue background and
borders around all cells), enter her data and then click the save button and
have it go to the default location. It sounds like using your suggestion
would mean she opens Excel, and then has to open the template. Is this not
correct? Thanks for your help!

 

[Dave Peterson]

No.

She could put all her customized choices in a template workbook. Store that
template workbook in her XLStart folder and call that template book.xlt.

Whenever she clicks on the new icon on the standard toolbar, that template
workbook will be used as the basis for the new workbook.

 

[Guest]

Okay, that's where we already are with this. Where we are running into a
problem is that when she saves the document, it is overwriting the template.
Now when she opens Excel, it's bringing up the new saved information instead
of a blank spreadsheet with the blue background and borders.

 

[Gord Dibben]

In that case, the Template is not a true Template.

Sounds like she is just using an *.xls workbook as her start point.

A true template which is an *.XLT file will not be overwritten, it just creates
a copy as an *.xls workbook.

You must save as>file type>ms excel template (*.xlt)


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

Okay, that's where we already are with this. Where we are running into a
problem is that when she saves the document, it is overwriting the template.
Now when she opens Excel, it's bringing up the new saved information instead
of a blank spreadsheet with the blue background and borders.

 

[Guest]

Okay, is there any way to have this template be the startup template so when
she open Excel it comes up instead of the regular white background, and then
when she clicks the save button it is automatically saved to the network
location?

 

[Dave Peterson]

Save it as book.xlt in the xlstart folder.

You may want to search for other book.xlt files in other xlstart folders. Maybe
she has multiple versions that's causing the trouble.

Okay, is there any way to have this template be the startup template so when
she open Excel it comes up instead of the regular white background, and then
when she clicks the save button it is automatically saved to the network
location?

 

[Guest]

We've already tried that. Thanks.

Save it as book.xlt in the xlstart folder.

You may want to search for other book.xlt files in other xlstart folders. Maybe
she has multiple versions that's causing the trouble.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Do she show extensions (set in windows explorer tools|folder options)?

If yes, what's the name of the workbook that is shown in the title bar?

Does it look like
book.xlt
or
book.xls
or
book1
or
book1.xlt
or
book1.xls

or what?

 

[Guest]

I set this up for her about a month ago and it worked perfectly until
yesterday (maybe she did something unknowingly). She isn't in the office for
me to check today, but this is what she has:

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Then these files are there:
book.xlt
book1.xlt
book1.xls

 

[Dave Peterson]

Remove the book1.xlt and book1.xls.

Keep the book.xlt

Then test it.

I set this up for her about a month ago and it worked perfectly until
yesterday (maybe she did something unknowingly). She isn't in the office for
me to check today, but this is what she has:

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Then these files are there:
book.xlt
book1.xlt
book1.xls