12 Default Excel Settings You Should Change

If you find yourself frequently adjusting the same settings in Excel, you can save time and effort by customizing the default preferences. Here’s how to access and modify some of the most common default settings in Excel to suit your needs.

Where to Access Excel Default Settings

1. Open Excel.
2. Go to the File tab.
3. On the bottom left, click Options to open the Excel Options window.
4. From here, you can choose the relevant menu on the left to change settings.

1. Quick Access Toolbar

• Why Change It: Make frequently used commands easily accessible.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Quick Access Toolbar.
  2. Use the Choose Commands From drop-down to select and add commands.
  3. Click Add and then OK to save.

2. Font Style and Size

• Why Change It: Set a specific font or size as the default for every new workbook.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to General under the When Creating New Workbooks section.
  2. Choose your preferred font style and size.
  3. Click OK to apply.

3. View for New Sheets

• Why Change It: Always open new sheets in your preferred view (e.g., Page Layout or Page Break View).
• How to Change:
  1. Under General, go to When Creating New Workbooks.
  2. Select the Default View for New Sheets drop-down.
  3. Click OK to apply.

4. Workbook to Open at Startup

• Why Change It: Automatically open the workbook you use most often.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Advanced and find the General section.
  2. In the At Startup, Open All Files In box, enter the folder path where the workbook is stored.
  3. Click OK to save.

5. Number of Recent Workbooks

• Why Change It: Limit the number of recent files shown for quicker access.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Advanced and scroll to the Display section.
  2. Adjust the Show This Number of Recent Workbooks setting.
  3. Click OK to apply.

6. Number of Sheets in New Workbook

• Why Change It: Set a default number of sheets (e.g., always start with 3 sheets).
• How to Change:
  1. In General, under When Creating New Workbooks, adjust the Include This Many Sheets setting.
  2. Click OK to save.

7. Ruler Units

• Why Change It: Customize the ruler measurement units for your region or preference.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Advanced and find the Display section.
  2. Choose your preferred unit under Ruler Units.
  3. Click OK to apply.

8. Enter Key Behavior

• Why Change It: Customize the direction in which the cursor moves when you press Enter.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Advanced and locate the Editing Options section.
  2. Choose the desired direction (e.g., Right, Left, Down, or Up).
  3. Click OK to save.

9. Decimal Places

• Why Change It: Automatically insert a decimal point or adjust decimal places for ease.
• How to Change:
  1. In Advanced, under Editing Options, check Automatically Insert a Decimal Point.
  2. Set the number of decimal places.
  3. Click OK to save.

10. Calculation Method

• Why Change It: Switch to manual calculations if you prefer to calculate only when needed.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Formulas and locate the Calculation Options section.
  2. Choose Manual or another desired option.
  3. Click OK to apply.

11. Pivot Table Layout

• Why Change It: Set default layout preferences for pivot tables.
• How to Change:
  1. Go to Data, under Data Options, click Edit Default Layout.
  2. Adjust the layout settings as needed.
  3. Click OK to save.

By adjusting these settings, you can streamline your workflow, making Excel more personalized and efficient. If you want to change them later, just return to the Excel Options window and make the necessary adjustments.

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