XL: How to Change the Alternate Startup Folder (Directory)

• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SUMMARY

The following example explains how to change the alternate startup folder (directory) in Microsoft without having to start Microsoft Excel.

MORE INFORMATION

To set an alternate startup folder in Microsoft Excel, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. In the Alternate Startup File Location edit box, type the full path to the folder. Microsoft Excel will use the folder specified in this edit box to start any workbooks or files it contains when Microsoft Excel is started. The Alternate Startup folder is used in addition to the Xlstart folder.

In some cases, you may type the wrong folder path, for example "C:\DataFiles\" (without the quotation marks). This may present problems when you start Microsoft Excel and may cause the computer to stop responding without giving you the opportunity to change your folder entry.

To change the Alternate Startup folder without starting Microsoft Excel, click the Start button, and then click Run. In the Run box, type "regedit" (without the quotation marks). This will start an instance of the Registry Editor.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Always make a backup of the Windows Registry before you modify any settings. You can backup the entire Registry by copying System.dat and User.dat or by exporting a single portion of the Registry using REGEDIT.

On the Registry Editor menu, click Edit, and then click Find. In the edit box, type "altstartup" (without the quotation marks). This entry should be located on the right side of the screen under Name.

Microsoft Excel 97

For Microsoft Excel 97, look for the following AltStartup entry:

   My Computer\HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Excel\
   Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel 7.0

For Microsoft Excel 7.0, look for the following AltStartup entry:

   My Computer\HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Excel\7.0\Microsoft
   Excel

When the correct entry has been found, you will see under Data, the folder you entered in Microsoft Excel from the Tools menu. Using the right mouse button (right-click), click the entry AltStartup, and then click Modify. By default, the entry in the Value Data box is the folder you typed, and it will be highlighted. To change the entry, type the correct full path to the folder, and then click OK. To delete this entry, press DELETE. Quit the Registry Editor and start Microsoft Excel.

For more information about modifying the Windows registry, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q136393
   TITLE:      How to Modify the Windows Registry