Saving Versions

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 21, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Those familiar with Word may know how to use the Version feature of that program to save different versions of the same document, all within the same file. You may wonder if such a feature was built into Excel, as well.

Excel does not have such a capability; there is no versioning feature. You can, however, use custom views (View menu) to create different ways of looking at your worksheet. Custom views are described fully in other issues of ExcelTips; they basically allow you to specify things such as which rows and columns are visible, row height, column width, formatting characteristics, etc. While not a true "version," custom views do provide a way that you can show different information to different people.

Another approach is to periodically create copies of your worksheets (use Edit | Move or Copy Sheet). Each copy you create can represent a different version of the worksheet. You could also just make copies of your entire workbook periodically, and then name each copy so that it represents a different version of your data.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2879) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Conditional Formatting with Data Imported from Access

If you want to apply a conditional format to data imported into Excel from Access, you may run into some difficulties ...

Discover More

Removing All Formatting from a Document

When it comes to formatting a document that others have worked on, it is sometimes easier to start with a blank slate. ...

Discover More

Changing the Types of Numbers in a Numbered List

Ever want to change the types of numbers that Word displays when you create a numbered list? There are several numbering ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Identifying the Last Cell Changed in a Worksheet

When someone changes a cell in a worksheet, Excel normally goes along its merry way of keeping everything up to date. It ...

Discover More

Forcing a Worksheet to be Protected Again

Excel allows you to protect your worksheets so they can only be changed as you want to have happen. If you unprotect a ...

Discover More

Shortcut to Move between Two Worksheets

Moving between to adjacent worksheets is easy; Excel provides a shortcut key to do the trick. If you want to move between ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 5 - 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.