Increasing the Number of MRU Files

Summary: MRU (most recently used) files can be a great help when you work with a given set of common workbooks. Excel versions up through Excel 2003 only allow you to have up to nine MRU files remembered, but Excel 2007 allows quite a few more. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

Peter asked a common question for Excel users: Is it possible to increase the number of Most Recently Used files beyond the nine available in Excel. In versions of Excel prior to Excel 2007 the answer was an emphatic no—the maximum limit of nine is hard-coded into the program.

Excel 2007 made a change, however. You can change the number of MRU files by following these steps:

Click the Office button and then click Excel Options. Excel displays the Excel Options dialog box.
Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
Scroll through the available options until you see the Display section. (Click here to see a related figure.)
Use the control labeled Show this Number of Recent Documents to indicate how many files you want to appear in the MRU list. (You can set a value up to 50.)
Click OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3509) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Increasing the Number of MRU Files