The instructions for some of the tips you see featured in ExcelTips vary depending on the version of Excel you are using. If you are a relative newcomer to Excel, you may not know exactly how to determine which version you are using.
There are a couple of ways you can figure out which version you are using. The first is to watch Excel as you start the program. Depending on the speed of your system, you may notice the version in the splash screen that appears as Excel starts up. (I say that this depends on the speed of your system because I've seen some systems that are so fast, the splash screen is gone before anyone can fully see everything that is on it.)
Once you have started Excel, how you determine your version depends on the version of Excel you are using. (That sounds rather circular, doesn't it?)
Take a look at the top of your screen. Assuming you can see the ribbon up there (it has words on it like Home, Insert, Page Layout, etc.), you can take a first pass at determining your version by looking at the left end of the ribbon. If you see a File tab, then you are using either Excel 2010 or Excel 2013. (More on that it a moment.) If you, instead, see a round Office button at the top-left corner of the screen, then you are using Excel 2007.
Assuming you see a File tab, you can further narrow down your version by clicking that File tab. If you continue to see the ribbon tabs at the top of the screen, you are using Excel 2010. If the ribbon tabs disappear and you instead see (at the upper-left corner of the screen) a round circle containing a left-pointing arrow, then you are using Excel 2013.
If you want to get even more detailed information about your version—information that includes the specific build number of your version—then how you find that out varies widely depending on your general version of Excel. (You might need the detailed build information to provide to Microsoft technical support, for instance.)
If you want to determine more detail about your version number, then you should follow these steps if you are using Excel 2007:
Figure 1. The About Microsoft Office Excel dialog box.
Note that near the top of the dialog box you can see the version number you are using. When you are through reviewing the information, click OK to close the dialog box.
If you want to determine more detail about your version number and you are using Excel 2010, getting to the info is much easier than in Excel 2007. Start by clicking the File tab of the ribbon and then click Help at the left side of the screen. You'll see all the version information appear at the right side of the screen.
In Excel 2013 Microsoft again moved where the version information is located, and it can be a bit tricky to locate. The reason is because this version is delivered electronically, via download, instead of from physical media like a CD or DVD.
Click the File tab of the ribbon and then, at the left side of the screen, click Account. (Yes, Account. Go figure!) At the right side of the screen you'll see a large heading that says Office Updates. Under this heading you can find the version information for your copy of the program.
If you need to know the version number and build number in a macro you are creating, you can use the .Version property (for the version) and the .Build property (for the build number). Both properties should be used with the Application object, in this manner:
sVersion = Application.Version
sBuild = Application.Build
In these examples, sVersion will contain the version number and sBuild the build number. The version number will be "12.0" for Excel 2007 "14.0" for Excel 2010, or "15.0" for Excel 2013.
The build number will be a string of numbes interspersed with periods; the string corresponds to what you see if you follow the steps described earlier in this tip. For example, if you follow the instructions for Excel 2013, earlier, and you see a version number of "15.0.4551.1512", then when you execute the above code, sVersion would be "15.0" and sBuild would be "4551.1512".
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8938) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Determining Your Version of Excel.
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2019-02-12 06:47:26
This Function I have from Rory Archibald.
It seems to work on most of the lower versions Windows Excel that I have.
I don’t have Mac or any Excel versions above XL 2010. It gives you the version and Bit information
Sub TestVersion() ' Rory Archibald 2015
MsgBox Prompt:=ExcelVersion
End Sub
Public Function ExcelVersion() As String
Dim temp As String
'On Error Resume Next
#If Mac Then
Select Case CLng(Val(Application.Version))
Case 11: temp = "Excel 2004"
Case 12: temp = "Excel 2008" ' this should NEVER happen!
Case 14: temp = "Excel 2011"
Case 15: temp = "Excel 2016 (Mac)"
Case Else: temp = "Unknown"
End Select
#Else
Select Case CLng(Val(Application.Version))
Case 9: temp = "Excel 2000"
Case 10: temp = "Excel 2002"
Case 11: temp = "Excel 2003"
Case 12: temp = "Excel 2007"
Case 14: temp = "Excel 2010"
Case 15: temp = "Excel 2013"
Case 16: temp = "Excel 2016 (Windows)"
Case Else: temp = "Unknown"
End Select
#End If
#If Win64 Then
temp = temp & " 64 bit"
#Else
temp = temp & " 32 bit"
#End If
ExcelVersion = temp
End Function
2019-02-11 10:59:14
Willy Vanhaelen
@Sumit
There is no Excel 2007 64 bit. It started only with 2010.
2019-02-10 07:46:12
Sumit
Not helpful in case of 2007 excel version. There is no details of bit version of 2007 excel version
2016-08-26 07:20:59
MIchael Armstrong
Another Office 365 improvement that winds up being a PITA: if you just open Excel, there is no ribbon until you open a workbook. No ribbon -> no File -> no version information.
Also, you no longer can leave Excel open when you close the last workbook in use, resulting in a much longer time to open the next workbook.
2016-08-25 18:03:50
Jim Bazet
I have the 2013 version of Excel. I know very little about it. I bought the Excel 2016 for dummies and from what I am reading it might be confusing with 2013. What is the recommendation
2016-06-01 09:17:43
Alhaji Sorie Waritay
Good
2016-03-29 08:08:14
Chris
Excellent! Microsoft continues to amaze me with stupid changes to Office. Now, where did they move the option to keep the top row(s) visible while you scroll.
2015-05-21 17:30:49
Mar
Your information may be good, but way way to verbose. Don't have time to read a book...
2015-04-14 14:58:53
Kavin
I found version number for excel 2013. Great tips.
2015-01-26 14:50:16
R Wright
To find 2007 version info you say click the Office button . . . what the hell is that?
Eventually found it, no Resources button/choice available until I discovered one has to RIGHT-click on the Office button, then it proceeded as you outline.
2014-09-22 10:34:28
Scott Renz
Application.Build only shows me a four digit number. It does not follow that with a dot and another four digit number like I see when I look in Resources.
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