Opening Personal.xlsb in Excel 2007

Summary: If you start up Excel 2007 and all you see is your Personal.xlsb file, then you may wonder what you are doing wrong. The answer is nothing—all you need to do is make sure that the file is hidden, as discussed in this tip. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 2007.)

Roger uses Excel 2007. Every time he starts the program, it is supposed to open a blank worksheet. However, Roger notes that Excel always opens Personal.xlsb instead of a fresh worksheet.

The Personal.xlsb worksheet (and its predecessor Personal.xls worksheets in earlier versions of Excel) is used, most often, to contain macros that you want available whenever you are using Excel. Normally the worksheet is hidden, unless it has been specifically unhidden and Excel saved.

To solve the problem, just start Excel and when the Personal.xlsb file is visible, display the View tab of the ribbon and click Hide in the Window group. The worksheet goes away, and you should immediately exit Excel. (If you are asked if you want to save your changes, respond in the affirmative.)

The next time you start Excel, you should no longer see Personal.xlsb because it is hidden. Instead you should see a regular blank worksheet, exactly as you expect.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3290) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 2007

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Opening Personal.xlsb in Excel 2007