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.

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

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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:

  1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. If you are using Excel 2007, Excel 2010, or Excel 2013, click Advanced at the left of the dialog box. Scroll through the options until you see the General section. If you are using Excel 2016 or a later version, at the left of the dialog box click either Ease of Access or Accessibility (Microsoft keeps changing the option name for some reason). Windows displays the Ease of Access dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Accessibility options of the Excel Options dialog box.

  3. Regardless of which version of Excel you are using, make sure the Provide Feedback with Sound check box is selected.
  4. Click on OK.

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.

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. ...

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What is 8 - 5?

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

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