A workbook is another word for your Excel file. When you start Excel, click Blank workbook to create an Excel workbook from scratch.

Open an Existing Workbook

To open a workbook you've created in the past, execute the following steps.

1. On the File tab, click Open.

2. Recent shows you a list of your recently used workbooks. You can quickly open a workbook from here.

3. Click Browse to open a workbook that is not on the list.

Close a Workbook

To close a workbook (and Excel), click the upper right X. If you have multiple workbooks open, clicking the upper right X closes the active workbook.

Create a New Workbook

Sometimes you want to start all over again. To create a new workbook, execute the following steps.

1. On the File tab, click New.

2. Click Blank workbook.

Turn off the Start screen

When you start Excel, it shows a start screen that lists recently used Excel files and templates. To skip the start screen and always start with a blank workbook, execute the following steps.

1. On the File tab, click Options.

2. Uncheck 'Show the Start screen when this application starts'.

3. Click OK.

View Multiple Workbooks

If you want to view multiple Excel workbooks at the same time, execute the following steps.

1. First, open two or more workbooks.

2. On the View tab, in the Window group, click Arrange All.

3. Select the desired arrange setting. For example, click Horizontal.

4. Click OK.

5. On the View tab, in the Window group, click View Side by Side (by default, Synchronous Scrolling is activated), to scroll both workbooks at the same time.

AutoRecover

Excel periodically saves a copy of your Excel file. Learn how to recover a file that was never saved and how to recover a file that has been saved at least once.

If Excel crashes, it displays the Document Recovery Pane, the first time you open Excel again. This is a quick way to recover the last autosaved file.

File that was never saved

If you've never saved a file and you accidentally click Don't Save below when you close Excel (or Excel crashes), execute the following steps to recover the last autosaved file.

Note: Excel tells you if a recent copy will be available.

1. On the File tab, click Info.

2. Click Manage Workbook, Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

3. Click the last autosaved file.

Saved at least once

If you've saved a file at least once and you accidentally click Don't Save below when you close Excel (or Excel crashes), execute the following steps to recover the last autosaved file.

Note: Excel tells you if a recent copy will be available.

1. Open the Excel file!

2. On the File tab, click Info.

3. Under Manage Workbook, click the last autosaved file.

Versions

When you are working on an Excel file, Excel saves all previous autosaved files under Manage Workbook.

1. On the File tab, click Info.

2. At any time, you can go back to a previous version of your Excel file.

Options

To change the AutoRecover options, execute the following steps.

1. On the File tab, click Options, Save.