General tips index

General tips index

This section contains general tips that apply to Microsoft Excel and the Windows Operating System. This includes general definitions, concepts, and more. Browse the index for more.

Check Box
Dialog Boxes
Dropdown Box
How To Install Fonts
Hyperlink
Multiple Instances Of Excel
Toggle Button
Tool Bars
Tool Tips
What Are True Type Fonts

Open file as copy

How to open a new copy of a Excel file?
If a copy of a file is opened, where would be the copy?
I have opened a file as copy. Can I use access the file after it is closed?

To open a file as copy, just follow the steps

• Select your file through the file open box (CTRL+O)
• Now at the bottom you may notice an ARROW BOX next to the OPEN button (in fact, it is a drop down box)
• Click the arrow and select OPEN AS COPY.
• Now you could be having a copy of the original version of the file.

Where is my Copy file?
How to access my Copy file?
If you open a Excel file using the OPEN AS COPY option, then a new file is created and saved in the same directory of the original file. So if you have a file, say test.xls in D drive. Then if you open the file as copy, then Excel creates a file in the D drive with the name Copy(1) of test.xls.
You can access this file through the path D:/Copy(1) of test.xls. You can always rename and copy your file somewhere else but by default Excel saves the copy of the file in the same drive. Also, Excel duplicates the original file and whatever is in the original file, it is copied including formats, formulas and other functionalities.

Multiple copies of a single file
If you open multiple copies of a single file, then Excel number it in ascending order. So if you open a second copy then Excel gives it the name D:/Copy(2) of test.xls and the third copy is named D:/Copy(3) of test.xls. So you can always access the. If you open the copy of a copied file then excel names it as copy of copy, copy of copy of copy and so on.
In the above example, if you open the file Copy(1) of test.xls as a copy then Excel names it as Copy(1) of Copy(1) of test.xls and if you open this file again as Copy then Excel would name it as Copy(1) of Copy(1) of Copy(1) of test.xls. It may sound a bit confusing but its quite clear.

Open a file as copy only it is absolutely required or you are working on an important file or you are working on other's job and need to preserve the original data. Opening a file as copy takes up disk space (its nothing when compared to 40GB disks and more) and adds your files list and make us a mess of things if you open too many copies.

Toolbars in Microsoft Excel

What are tool bars?
Tool bars available in Microsoft Excel
Can custom tool bars be created in Microsoft Excel?

Definition:
Tool bars are list of commands arranged in a bar to facilitate one click action. It's a set of buttons arranged in a organised manner, the set of buttons being called tool bars and the buttons being called command buttons (other names are also being used to define a command button). Clicking a button on the tool bar triggers an action.


Shown above is the standard tool bar in Microsoft Excel.

Tool bars in Microsoft Excel:
The following tool bars are available in Microsoft Excel (Excel 2003)

1. Standard
2. Formatting
3. Borders
4. Chart
5. Control Tool box
6. Drawing
7. Exit design mode
   
8. External Data
9. Forms
10. Formula Auditing
11. List
12. Picture
13. Pivot table
14. Protection
15. Reviewing
16. Text to speech
17. Visual Basic
18. Watch Window
19. Web
20. Word Art
21. Worksheet Menu Bar
    

The above are the frequently used tool bars in Microsoft Excel that are displayed by right clicking the worksheet menu bar. There are also other tool bars such as 3D, Shapes, Color and more in Microsoft Excel.

Custom tool bars in Microsoft Excel:
You can create custom tool bars in Microsoft Excel and also assign actions and events to the tool bars you have created. Excel supports this feature. But you need to program in Visual Basic environment to create and assign actions in tool bar.

Open file as read only

How to open a Excel file as read only?
How to open a new copy of a Excel file?
Can I open my Excel file in Internet Explorer?

To open a file as read only, just follow the steps

• Select your file through the file open box (CTRL+O)
• Now at the bottom you may notice an ARROW BOX next to the OPEN button (in fact, it is a drop down box)
• Click the arrow and select OPEN READ ONLY.
• Now you could be having a read only version of the original file.

You could use this option if you just want to view the file and don't want to make any changes. You should select a file before using this option. If you navigated to the folder but haven't selected the file, the OPEN READ ONLY option would not be highlighted (The option would show up but you cannot click on it. It would be disabled)

To open a copy of a file, just follow the steps and instead of OPEN READ ONLY use the OPEN AS COPY option. The step by step instructions are:

• Select your file through the file open box (CTRL+O)
• Now at the bottom you may notice an ARROW BOX next to the OPEN button (in fact, it is a drop down box)
• Click the arrow and select OPEN AS COPY.
• Now you could be having a copy of the original version of the file.

Note:
If you open a copy of the file, then a duplicate version of the same file is created in the directory of the original file. See more here

You can also use the OPEN AND REPAIR option if you suspect your file is corrupted. Excel may present you with a message box which you may utilise.

You cannot view Microsoft Excel files in Internet Explorer from withing Microsoft Excel. But you can open it from Internet Explorer. The OPEN IN BROWSER button would not highlight if you select a Excel file but you can use this option with a html file (The option would get highlighted if you select a html file or any web page)

Create a read only file

How to create a read only file?
How to make a file read only?
How to make a read only file read write?

By default, all files created and opened in Microsoft Excel are read write files. This applies not only to Microsoft Excel but almost all other applications. Also, a file cannot be created read only just because if you create a read only file you can never edit it. But you can make a file read only so that others don't tamper with it.

To make a Excel file read only (Microsoft Excel 2003),

• Goto Tools ->Options->Security (The Tools menu in the worksheet menu bar)
  
• Check the READ-ONLY RECOMMENDED box.

This would make your file read only and when the file is opened, it would prompt you with the message box whether you want the file to be opened in read only mode or not. If you click YES, the file would open in read only mode. If you click NO, the file would open in read write mode and you can save your changes.

For Microsoft Excel 2000 and other previous versions

• Goto File->Save As
• Click the TOOLS button on the right corner and select GENERAL OPTIONS
• Now check the READ-ONLY RECOMMENDED box.

This works well in Microsoft Excel 2003 also.

The above option, though making the file read only, gives the user the option to edit it. So even if an user unknowingly presses the NO button , when prompted for read only opening, he may still be able to edit the file. If you want to prevent this then,

• Navigate to your file through Windows Explorer or the File Open Box and select it.
  
• RIGHT CLICK and select PROPERTIES
• Check the READ ONLY box.

This always open the file read only and even if you already made your file read only, by using the first option, this overrides it since this function is part of the operating system rather than the application. To make the file read write again, just uncheck the READ ONLY box.