Remembering Workbook Settings from Session to Session

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 20, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365


Robert frequently uses one workbook wherein he opens at least two windows in which to work, selecting worksheets from multiple tabs. (He doesn't do this for all workbooks, just for this one.) He sets titles and uses the zoom feature to 80% to get more of the worksheets on-screen. Every now and then, after saving the workbook and reopening it later, the titles and zoom factor on a particular worksheet have been reset, and Robert has to go through the procedure of resetting them again. He wonders if there is a way to ensure the titles and zoom factor are remembered when saving.

There are a few things you can try. First, you could create a macro that runs every time the workbook opens. This macro could set up your worksheets the way you want. For instance, the following macro sets the zoom factor for the window to 80%.

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
    ActiveWindow.Zoom = 80
End Sub

Just put the macro in the ThisWorkbook module and it will work fine. You could also modify it to add other setup that you want done.

If you prefer not to use a macro, then you can set up your worksheets as you want and then save them as a custom view. Just follow these steps:

  1. Set up your worksheets as you want.
  2. Display the View tab of the ribbon.
  3. Click Custom Views. Excel displays the Custom Views dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Custom Views dialog box.

  5. Click the Add button. Excel displays the Add View dialog box. (See Figure 2.)
  6. Figure 2. The Add View dialog box.

  7. Enter a name that you want used for the view.
  8. Make any other setting changes desired in the dialog box.
  9. Click OK to save the custom view.

When you later want to use the custom view, just click the Custom Views tool again, choose the view you want, then click Show.

The final suggestion is to save as a workspace. The primary difference between workspaces and custom views is that workspaces allow you to remember all the workbooks you had open when you saved the workspace. You use the tool by, once again, displaying the View tab of the ribbon and clicking the Save Workspace tool. You can then provide a name for the workspace, and it is stored in a file that uses the extension .XLW.

There is one thing to note here: The "save as workspace" suggestion won't work in Excel 2013 or later versions, only in Excel 2007 or Excel 2010. The feature was removed completely from Excel 2013; you can't even find it as a command to be added to the QAT or ribbon. According to Microsoft sources, the feature has been deprecated.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12586) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Finding a Lost Menu Bar

Once in a while Word can get confused and stop displaying an object you need to fully use Word. If your menu bar suddenly ...

Discover More

Using More CPU Power when Calculating

Today's PCs are more powerful than ever, but you can still have slowdowns when it comes to calculating large workbooks. ...

Discover More

Positioning the Footnote Separator

The Footnote Separator, as its name implies, separates the footnotes on each page from the text on that page. If the ...

Discover More

Save Time and Supercharge Excel! Automate virtually any routine task and save yourself hours, days, maybe even weeks. Then, learn how to make Excel do things you thought were simply impossible! Mastering advanced Excel macros has never been easier. Check out Excel 2010 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Opening Two Workbooks with the Same Name

If you have two workbooks that each have the same name, opening them at the same time in Excel could cause some problems. ...

Discover More

Determining If a Workbook is Referenced by Another Workbook

It is a difficult task, in Excel, to determine if a workbook is the target of any external links. This tip examines some ...

Discover More

Merging Many Workbooks

If you need to combine the contents of a bunch of workbooks into a single workbook, the process can get tedious. Here's a ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is three less than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.