Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Getting Audible Feedback.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 23, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021
One of the things that Microsoft has helpfully added to Excel is the ability to configure the program so it makes noises. Granted, every version of Excel makes an obnoxious ding whenever you press the wrong key or try to do something it doesn't like, but now you can expand the auditory experience to an even wider array of obnoxious noises. To set up Excel to use audible feedback, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Accessibility options of the Excel Options dialog box.
You have now enabled the use of sounds. If you want to change which sounds Excel uses, then do your tweaking in using the Sound Scheme drop-down list (if it is available in your version of Excel) or in the Sounds applet of the Control Panel (within Windows, not in Excel itself).
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8240) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Getting Audible Feedback.
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2024-03-23 12:14:10
Brian Lair
“… an even wider array of obnoxious noises” - That made me chuckle. :-)
2024-03-23 12:06:24
J. Woolley
My Excel Toolbox includes the ToggleFeedbackSound macro to toggle feedback with sound (Enable/Disable). This macro supports Undo (Ctrl+Z).
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
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