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: Creating a Workbook Clone.

Creating a Workbook Clone

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 23, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

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:

  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 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.

If you are using Excel 97, the steps are a bit different:

  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.

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.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2232) 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: Creating a Workbook Clone.

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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