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: Finding the Size of a Workbook.

Finding the Size of a Workbook

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 23, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Mike wonders if there is a worksheet function that will show him the size, in bytes, of a workbook without using a macro.

The size of a workbook in Excel can become very large, depending on the information it contains. Keeping track of the size is important and can be accomplished a couple of different ways.

If you don't want to use a macro, Excel keeps track of various pieces of information about a file in the Properties dialog box.

  1. Select the Properties option in the File menu. Excel displays the Properties dialog box.
  2. Click on the General tab. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The General tab of the Properties dialog box.

In the General tab, Excel displays the size of the file. You will also see other information about the file in this tab including the type of file and who created it. Obtaining the file size is simple using this process, but it does not allow you to see the workbook size on the worksheet itself. Unfortunately, there is no way around it; you will need to use a macro. The following is a good example of one you could use:

Function wbksize()
    myWbk = Application.ThisWorkbook.FullName
    wbksize = FileLen(myWbk)
End Function

To use this macro within a worksheet, just type the following in any cell:

=wbksize()

The file size is displayed in bytes.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8028) 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: Finding the Size of a Workbook.

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

Changing Stubborn Ruler Measurements

Can't get the Ruler to reflect the measurements you want? Chances are good that you are suffering from a glitch caused by ...

Discover More

Sending Printer Commands

If you need to send a command directly to your printer, then you need to use the PRINT field. It allows you to send ...

Discover More

WordTips Ribbon 2021 Archive (Table of Contents)

WordTips is a weekly newsletter that provides tips on how to best use Microsoft's word processing software. At ...

Discover More

Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Faster Text File Conversions

Want to make your importing of text data faster than ever? Here are some ideas you can apply right away.

Discover More

Checking for the Existence of a File

The data stored in a worksheet can often correspond to information external to that worksheet. For instance, you might ...

Discover More

Locked File Puzzle

What would you do if every time you opened a workbook Excel told you it was locked? Here's how you can try to recover ...

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 9 - 8?

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.