Chapter 6: Understanding Excel Files and Templates
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■ (^) Locate the Excel workbook file via a File Explorer file list. Just double-click the file-
name (or icon), and the workbook opens in Excel. If Excel isn’t running, Windows
automatically starts Excel and loads the workbook file.
When you choose File ➪ Open ➪ Recent, each file in the recent workbooks list displays a pushpin icon on the right
when you hover the mouse pointer over the filename. Click the pushpin icon, and that file becomes “pinned” to the
list and will always appear at the top of the list. This handy feature ensures that important files always appear on the
recent workbooks list—even if you haven’t opened the file recently.
Also, notice that you can right-click a workbook in the list and choose Remove from List. Choose Clear Unpinned
Workbooks to clear the list and start fresh.
To open a workbook from the Open dialog box, use the folder tree display on the left to
locate the folder that contains the file and then select the workbook file from the list on
the right. You can resize the Open dialog box by using the control in the lower-right corner.
After you locate and select the file, click Open, and the file opens. Or just double-click the
filename to open it.
Notice that the Open button is actually a drop-down list. Click the arrow, and you see these
additional options:
Open Opens the file normally.
Open Read-Only Opens the selected file in read-only mode. When a file is opened in this
mode, you can’t save changes with the original filename.
Open as Copy Opens a copy of the selected file. If the file is named budget.xlsx, the
workbook that opens is named Copy(1)budget.xlsx.
Open in Browser Opens the file in your default web browser. If the file can’t be opened in
a browser, this option is disabled.
Open in Protected View Opens the file in a special mode that doesn’t allow editing. In
this view, most of the Excel Ribbon commands are disabled. Read more about this new fea-
ture in the nearby sidebar “About Protected View.”
Open and Repair Attempts to open a file that may be damaged and recover information
contained in it.
Show Previous Versions Applies to documents stored where version histories are main-
tained, as on OneDrive or SharePoint Online.
In the Open dialog box, you can hold down the Ctrl key and select multiple workbooks. When you click Open, all of
the selected workbook files open.
Right-clicking a filename in the Open dialog box displays a shortcut menu with many extra Windows commands. For
example, you can copy, delete, or rename the file; modify its properties; and so on.