Start Excel efficiently: Instructions and tips

Excel is an essential tool for many office tasks. To save not only time but also nerves in your daily work routine, it is helpful to start Excel with the right settings. In this text, I will show you how you can start Excel in a varied and efficient way so that you can dive directly into your tasks without wasting time on unnecessary clicks.

Main Insights

• Excel can be started maximized to work immediately in fullscreen mode.
• The start screen can be disabled to begin with a blank table immediately.
• You can set certain Excel files to open automatically when Excel starts.
• There is the option to automatically prevent macros to enhance security.
• In case of startup issues, you can run Excel in safe mode.
• Excel files can be opened in read-only mode to prevent unwanted changes.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Start Excel maximized

To open Excel directly in fullscreen mode, you need to make some adjustments. Close Excel and right-click on the Excel icon. Select "Properties" and set the "Run" option to "Maximized". Apply the changes and close the window.

When you reopen Excel, you will notice that it starts immediately in fullscreen mode. This saves you the time normally spent switching to fullscreen mode.

2. Disable start screen

In most cases, you want to work directly without being interrupted by the start screen. To do this, open Excel, go to "File," and select "Options." Click on "General" and scroll down to the start options. Disable the option "Show the start screen when this application starts."

After this adjustment, Excel will start without the start screen next time you open it, starting directly with a blank table. This significantly speeds up your workflow.

3. Automatically open files

If you frequently work with the same Excel files, you can set them up to open automatically when you start Excel. There is a special folder called "XL Start" for this purpose.

Open Excel, go to "File," then "Options," and navigate to the "Trust Center." Find the section "Trusted Locations" and make a note of the path to the "XL Start" folder on your hard drive.

Move the desired Excel files, such as your employee table, to this folder. Now these files will open automatically when you start Excel, saving you a lot of time.

4. Custom folder for files

If you want to use a different folder for automation, you can set this up as well. Save all necessary Excel files in a new folder that you name, for example, "Excel Examples".

In Excel, go to "File," "Options," and select "Advanced." Scroll down to "General," where you will find the option "Open all files in." Enter the path to the new folder here.

When you open Excel, all files located in this folder will be loaded automatically.

5. Prevent macros from running on startup

To prevent malicious macros from running when Excel starts, hold down the Shift key while opening Excel. Hold the Shift key and click on the Excel icon. This action will disable all macros at startup.

This is especially important for the security of your system and prevents the accidental execution of potentially dangerous scripts.

6. Start Excel in safe mode

If you encounter issues when starting Excel, you can use safe mode. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window, and type in "excel.exe /safe." Press Enter.

In safe mode, only the essential functions are loaded, allowing you to quickly determine if there is an issue. If Excel starts without any problems, the issue may be related to an add-in or a specific setting that you should check.

7. Read-only access to files

To open an Excel file in read-only mode, you need the exact path to the file. You can also do this via the command prompt by entering the command "excel.exe /r" followed by the file path.

Opening Excel in this way ensures that the file is opened in read-only mode, which is particularly useful if you only need to take a look or verify data.

Summary

In this guide, you have learned a series of practical tips on how to efficiently start Excel. From maximizing the window to disabling the start screen to automatically opening important files - all these steps allow you to work faster and more productively.