Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

CHAPTER 2 SETTING EXCEL OPTIONS

INFOCUS

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All of Microsoft Excel’s settings are located in the Excel Options

dialog box. The Excel Options control the behaviour and
appearance of Excel, enabling you to adjust the operation of the
spreadsheet package to suit the way you work.

In this session you will:

 gain an understanding of Excel Options

 learn how to personalise Excel
 learn how to set the default font
 learn how to set formula options
 gain an understanding of Save options
 learn how to set Save options
 learn how to set file locations
 learn how to set the display options.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

UNDERSTANDING EXCEL OPTIONS

All of Microsoft Excel’s settings are accessible in dialog box provides a list of setting categories
the one dialog box, Excel Options. You can (down the left-hand side) that you can click on to
access this dialog box by clicking on the File tab access the related settings.
and clicking on Options. The Excel Options

Categories Settings

Category Description

Popular These settings control some of the most popular options, including the display and enabling of the
Mini toolbar and Live Preview, as well as options for personalising Microsoft Office. Some settings
in this category affect all applications in Microsoft Office.

Formulas The Formulas options allow you to control the calculation of formulas, the performance of the
worksheet in terms of calculations, and error handling.

Proofing Proofing options control the autocorrect and spelling settings.

Save The location and format used when spreadsheets are saved are controlled by the Save settings.

Language These settings control the language(s) used for spelling, help and screen tips.

Advanced The Advanced settings control a wide range of options, many of which will be familiar to those
who have used the Tools > Options settings in earlier versions of Excel.

Customise These settings control the content of the Ribbon.

Ribbon

Quick Access These settings control the content of the Quick Access Toolbar.
Toolbar

Add-Ins Add-ins are special programs that bring additional functionality to Microsoft Excel.

Trust Centre The settings that protect your spreadsheets are stored in the Trust Centre.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

PERSONALISING EXCEL
Every time you work in a Microsoft Office dialog box. The entries in these fields are used in
application, user information is added to the file various functions in Excel such as tracking changes
behind the scenes. Some of this information is and comments. User name is also used as the
found on the Popular page of the Excel Options Author in Document Properties.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise
ensure that you have a
blank spreadsheet open...

 Click on the File tab of the

Ribbon, then click on
Options to display the
General page of the Excel
Options dialog box

 Click in User name and

type your name

 If text already appears in

the field, triple-click in the
field to select it, then type
your name...

 Click on [OK] to save the

settings
1

 Any new spreadsheet you

create from now on will
display your name as the
Author

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To personalise Excel:  In situations where workbooks are shared,
1. Click on the File tab of the Ribbon the information that you enter in User name
will be used by Microsoft Excel to show
2. Click on Options
others who has a workbook open.
3. Enter relevant details in User name
 The User name also appears in pre-set
header and footer options.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

SETTING THE DEFAULT FONT

The default font is the font used for all text and font if you need to. The font settings are located on
values displayed or entered into a spreadsheet. the Popular page of the Options dialog box and
The standard font used in Microsoft Excel 2010 is affect only new workbooks.
Calibri, 11pt, but you can select an alternative

2
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this exercise
ensure that a blank
spreadsheet is open...

 Click on the File tab and

click on Options

 Click on the drop arrow

for Use this font to display
a long list of available fonts

 The default is Body Font

which is taken from the
default theme and is
Calibri...

 Click on Arial Black then

click on [OK]

 A message box will indicate

that you must restart Excel
5
for the changes to take
effect...

 Click on [OK] then close

and restart Excel

 The new workbook will

display Arial Black column
and row headers...

 Type Heading in the first

cell and press
6

 The text, too, is in Arial

Black...

 Repeat steps 1 to 4 to
restore the default setting to
Body Font

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To set the default font:  The font that appears in the column and row
1. Click on the File tab and click on Options headings and in the spreadsheet itself can
be changed by applying an alternative theme
2. Click on the drop arrow for Use this font
or theme font. The Themes group of
and select the font
commands appears on the Page Layout tab
3. Click on [OK] on the Ribbon.
4. Click on [OK] then close and restart Excel

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

SETTING FORMULA OPTIONS

Formulas are such a big part of using formulas, Error Checking and Error checking
spreadsheets that Excel has devoted an entire rules. To help you understand what the settings
Options category to formula settings. They do, Excel includes information icons which
include Calculation options, Working with display relevant help when you hover over them.

1
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this exercise
ensure that a blank
spreadsheet is open...

 Click on the File tab of the

Ribbon and click on Options,
then click on Formulas

 Click on Manual in Workbook

Calculations, under
Calculation options , so that it
appears selected

 Click on [OK]

 Type 1 in cell A1 and 2 in cell

A2, then click on A3 and
double-click on AutoSum
4
on the Home tab to create and
insert a SUM formula

 The total of 1 and 2 is 3...

 Click on A1 and type 4, then

press

 With manual recalculation, the

total will not change until you
5

tell Excel to recalculate...

 Press to update the total

 Repeat steps 1 to 3, clicking on

Automatic under Workbook
Calculation to restore the 6
calculation settings

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To set formula options:  A great innovation is the inclusion of
1. Click on the File tab and click on Options Formula AutoComplete. This automatically
displays help when you build a formula,
2. Click on Formulas
especially where functions are involved,
3. Make the required changes helping you complete functions accurately.
4. Click on [OK]

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

UNDERSTANDING SAVE OPTIONS

If you thought that saving a spreadsheet was as there is a whole lot more that goes on when you
simple as clicking on the Save tool or save a spreadsheet. The operation is controlled by
pressing + , you’d be right – from your the save settings that appear in the Excel Options
perspective. From Excel’s perspective, however, dialog box.

Save Settings
Save files in this format Excel allows you to save your spreadsheets in a wide range of formats.
Whatever you select here will be the format that Excel uses automatically to
save the file unless you specify a different format when you save.
Save AutoRecover Excel automatically creates a spreadsheet recovery file at the interval that you
information every 10 specify in minutes. You can specify a time from 1 to 120 minutes. If Excel
minutes crashes for any reason, the latest AutoRecover file will open when you next
start Excel. You can then save the changes.
AutoRecover file location This is the folder that the AutoRecover files are stored in.

Default file location This is the folder that spreadsheets are automatically stored in. It is also the
folder that is opened when you click on the File tab of the Ribbon and select
Open. This is the same folder as that shown in File Locations.

Save date and time values Saves dates and times in Open XML files using the ISO 8601 format. Times
using ISO 8601 date are rounded to the nearest ISO 8601 time value supported by Excel. Excel
format 2007 requires a converter to open Open XML files with data saved in the ISO
8601 format.
AutoRecover exceptions Allows you disable AutoRecover for a specific file.

Save checked-out files to This specifies whether or not to save checked-out files to your computer or to
the server. It is used for sharing spreadsheets.
Server drafts location This specifies the local server drafts location that is used if your checked-out
files are stored locally.
Visual appearance Controls the colours that will be used when a file is opened in an earlier version
of Excel.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

SETTING SAVE OPTIONS

The Save settings in Excel reside in the Excel a different default save format. This is great if you
Options dialog box. They can be used to modify need to save all of your spreadsheets in Excel 97-
the way Excel saves spreadsheets, enabling you 2003 Spreadsheet format for compatibility
to create backup copies automatically or specify reasons.

1
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this exercise
ensure that a blank
spreadsheet is open...

 Click on the File tab of the

Ribbon and select Options, to
display the Excel Options
dialog box, then click on Save

 Click on the drop arrow for

Save files in this format and
click on Excel 97-2003
Workbook (*.xls)

 Click on [OK] to save the

changes

 Click on the File tab of the

Ribbon and select Save

 Notice that Save as type is

automatically set to Excel 97-
2003 Workbook (*.xls)...

 Click on [Cancel]

 Repeat steps 1 to 4 and

change Save files in this
format back to Excel
4
Workbook (*.xlsx)

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To set save options:  The Save as type setting can be changed at
1. Click on the File tab and select Options the time that you save a file, but by making
the change in Excel Options, the format you
2. Click on Save
need will appear automatically, saving you
3. Change the settings as required and click on time and reducing the likelihood that you’ll
[OK] use the wrong format accidentally.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

SETTING THE DEFAULT FILE LOCATION

By default, Microsoft Excel records the location of the predefined folder called Pictures under your
different types of files so that it can find them user name. The only location that you can change
when you need them. For example, Excel knows is where Excel looks for your spreadsheet files.
to look for your pictures and other graphic files in This is known as the Default file location.

1
Try This Yourself:
Before starting this
exercise ensure that a
blank spreadsheet is
open...

 Click on the File tab of the

Ribbon and click on
Options, then click on
Save

 Select the text in the

Default file location and
write the path down so
that you can restore it
later

 Type C:\Course Files for

Excel 2010

 Click on [OK] to apply the

setting

 Click on the File tab and

select Open to display the
5

Open dialog box

 Excel now automatically

looks in the course files
folder. The list of files you
see may vary from that
shown here...

 Repeat steps 1 to 4 to
restore the original path

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To set the file location:  If you use several different locations but don’t
1. Click on the File tab and select Options want to change the default file location, you
might find useful the Recent Places link in
2. Click on Save
Favourite Links, shown in the left panel of
3. Change the Default file location the Open dialog box. This lists folders that
4. Click on [OK] you have accessed recently so you can jump
directly to them.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

SETTING ADVANCED OPTIONS

The Advanced options found in the Excel formulas, general and compatibility settings. For
Options dialog box allow you to change the way example, you can change the gridline colour,
that Excel looks and behaves. They include whether or not page breaks and sheet tabs appear,
editing, copy and paste, print, display calculation, and the units of measure on the ruler.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise
ensure that a blank
spreadsheet is open...

 Click on the File tab of the

RIbbon and select Options

 Click on Advanced, then

scroll down until you can
see the Display settings

 There are general display

settings as well as those for
specific workbooks and
worksheets...

 Scroll down to see Display

options for this
worksheet, then click on
Show page breaks so that
it appears with a tick 2

 Click on [OK]

 The page breaks will appear

as dashed lines on the
worksheet...

 Repeat steps 1 to 4 to
remove the tick and hide the
page breaks

4 The vertical page break can be seen here…

For Your Reference… Handy to Know…

To set the advanced options:  In the Editing options section, you’ll find the
1. Click on the File tab and select Options setting Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse.
With this turned on, Excel will zoom in or out
2. Click on Advanced
of the spreadsheet when you roll the wheel
3. Make the required changes on the mouse, rather than scrolling up and
4. Click on [OK] down as it would normally.

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 Microsoft Excel 2010 - Level 3

NOTES:

© Watsonia Publishing Page 24 Setting Excel Options