Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 26, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Fred ran into a problem with Excel—when he first starts the program, Excel opens Book1 as it should. Then, after a second or two, it switches to Book2 where Fred can start working. He's curious as to why Excel switches to Book2, and what happened to Book1.
Startup problems in Excel can be rather tricky to track down, but there are a few things you should check. First, make sure that there is nothing in the XLStartup folder on your system; it is possible that Book2.xls is stored there, and Excel is opening it whenever you start the program.
Of course, it is also possible that errant add-ins are making the switch, or that a template is responsible for it. You'll need to do some detective work in this case. A good place to start is this Web page, maintained by Excel MVP Jan Karel Pieterse:
http://www.jkp-ads.com/Articles/StartupProblems.asp
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3048) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
If you need to combine the contents of a bunch of workbooks into a single workbook, the process can get tedious. Here's a ...
Discover MoreBefore you have your macro open and read a file from disk, you'll want to check to make sure it is really there. Here's ...
Discover MoreOpen a workbook that someone else is working on, and you won't be able to save your changes back into the same file. ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments