Creating a Workbook Clone

There may be times when you want to make a copy of a workbook, without affecting the original. Excel provides an easy way to do this. Simply follow these steps if you are using Excel 97:

1. Click on the Open tool, or choose Open from the File menu. Excel displays the standard Open dialog box.
2. Select the workbook you want to make a copy of.
3. Click on the Commands and Settings button, at the right side of the toolbar in the Open dialog box. Excel displays a menu of choices.
4. Choose the Open As Copy option. Excel opens a copy of the workbook.

If you are using a later version of Excel, the steps are just a bit different:

1. Click on the Open tool, or choose Open from the File menu. (If you are using Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click on Open.) Excel displays the standard Open dialog box.
2. Select the workbook you want to make a copy of.
3. Click on the down-arrow just to the right of the Open button. Excel displays a list of different ways you can open the selected workbook.
4. Choose the Open As Copy option. Excel opens a copy of the workbook.

The workbook that is opened use the same file name, but Excel attaches some sort of phrase to the beginning of the file name, as a prefix. For instance, you might see the file name prefixed with "Copy of" or "Copy (1)." Thus, if the original workbook you selected in step 2 is named "Budget.xls," what Excel creates is a workbook named "Copy of Budget.xls" or "Copy (1)Budget.xls." If you want to rename the file, you will need to either use the Save As command, or rename the workbook after closing it.