Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Backing Up Your AutoCorrect Entries.

Backing Up Your AutoCorrect Entries

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 6, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


AutoCorrect is a very productive feature in Microsoft Office products that allows you to compensate for your inadequacies as a typist (grin). Since it is possible to spend a great deal of time tweaking your AutoCorrect entries so they are just right, you may wonder how to back up the information in case they need to move it to a freshly formatted hard drive or a new install of Excel.

The answer is quite simple: Excel's AutoCorrect information is stored in files with the ACL extension. If you want to make a copy of your AutoCorrect information, all you need to do is use the Windows searching capabilities to locate files with this extension and copy them to your backup destination (such as a flash drive).

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2087) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Backing Up Your AutoCorrect Entries.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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