Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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 May 13, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365


5

If you are using a multimedia computer (you know—the type that has more bells and whistles than your home stereo system), then you can configure Excel so it make 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 Ease of Access. Windows displays the Ease of Access dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Ease of Access options of the Excel Options dialog box.

  4. Regardless of which version of Excel you are using, make sure the Provide Feedback with Sound check box is selected
  5. 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 the Sounds applet of the Control Panel. (This is 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, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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 6 - 0?

2022-05-15 11:59:44

J. Woolley

My Excel Toolbox includes the ToggleFeedbackSound macro to enable or disable feedback with sound. Here is an abbreviated version:

Sub ToggleFeedbackSound()
    With Application
        .EnableSound = (Not .EnableSound)
    End With
End Sub

See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox


2018-09-30 14:31:04

John Mann

In my copy of Excel 2010 running in Windows 10, I found the option where Allan had described - that's after staring with great attention to the image shown in the original tip. I may experiment with this for the fun of it, but will probably leave it turned off for serious use


2018-09-29 14:13:43

Allan Poe

Note there is no "Provide Feedback with Sound" check box shown in the Excel Options>Advanced>General list.


2018-09-29 10:52:35

Morris Manning

Thank You, Alex.


2018-09-29 06:22:24

Alex B

@Allen Wyatt
The menu path supplied above is incorrect and the Provide Feedback with sound does not appear in the screen shot provided in the tip.
(The instructions apply to Excel 2010 and the Screenshot is from either 2016 or 365)

The correct menu path in my Excel 365 is Excel Options > EASE OF ACCESS > Feedback Options Section - Provide feedback with sound.

(see Figure 1 below)

Figure 1. Excel 365 Options Screenshot


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