Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 28, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
When you first install Excel (or Office), you are asked for your name and the name of your organization (company, group, etc.). This information is stored in several places in your system. If you later change the name of your group, it can be no small task to make the changes necessary to change your company name.
Perhaps the easiest way is to simply uninstall Excel (or--heaven forbid--Office) and then install it again, from scratch. (You will see why this is easiest when you learn about the alternative shortly.) If you choose this method, make sure you save your data files before removing Excel. When you reinstall, you can then provide the correct company name for this installation.
If you don't want to uninstall Excel, then you can simply find and change all the places in which the program stores your company name. These include the Registry and INI files. You can change the Registry by using the Registry editor, but make sure you understand that changing the Registry improperly could make your system unstable or unusable. (Sound scary? It needn't be; simply use caution and common sense.) Follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Run dialog box.
Figure 2. The Registry Editor.
Figure 3. The Registry Editor's Find dialog box.
You might think that you need to restart your system at this point. If the only changes you need to make were in the Registry, then this would be true. However, there are other places you need to change, as well. You can find other occurrences of your company name in files by following these steps:
It is important that you examine files closely in step 7. The types of files you are looking for is anything that is either obviously for Excel or anything that may be an INI file.
You will also want to search the options and settings in any Excel templates you may have developed. If you choose Options from the Tools menu, and click on the General tab, the User Name box may actually have your company name in it. You should also choose Properties from the File menu, and then click on the Summary tab. The contents of the Company Name box should be changed there.
When you are done, close Excel and restart your system. The company name should appear changed in all instances.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2908) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
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