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When starting Excel, how to prevent a blank workbook from opening?

SAL
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1 Answers1

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Use the /e command line switch. It works in all Excel versions from 2003 to 2016 (though I can only find it most recently documented for Excel 2013).

Description of the startup switches for Excel 2003 and lower
Command-line switches for Excel 2007
Command-line switches for Excel 2013

For example, to start Excel without displaying the startup screen and without opening a blank workbook, you would type:

excel.exe /e

Be sure to leave the quotation marks surrounding the original command line, then skip a space, then add /e - no quotes around /e

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dxiv
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  • There is no way to make that the default behavior? (I usually do this when I want a second instance of Excel, by middle clicking the currently open Excel button in the taskbar) – SAL Jan 06 '16 at 15:47
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    @Sergey You could modify the shortcut that starts Excel to add the /e switch. – dxiv Jan 06 '16 at 17:11
  • Sorry, @dxiv, could you explain or point to who can? (Or should I ask another question on this forum?) – SAL Jan 08 '16 at 14:30
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    @Sergey Navigate Windows Explorer to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15 (replace 15 depending on the version of Office you are running). Click Excel.exe once, then right-click and select Ceate Shortcut, OK the message box to save the shortcut to the desktop. Now right-click the shortcut on the desktop, select Properties in the popup menu, and add /e at the end of the command line in the Target box, outside any quotes. When you start Excel using that shortcut it will include the /e switch. As with any shortcut, you can also pin it to the start menu or taskbar if you want. – dxiv Jan 09 '16 at 01:16
  • Thank you! My question is a little more tricky: making the "middle click" of an unpinned icon in the taskbar (when opening a second instance of Excel) do what you described. I made a separate question to follow up: http://superuser.com/questions/1024821/modify-target-of-unpinned-applications-in-taskbar – SAL Jan 11 '16 at 17:27
  • @Sergey Either start Excel using the shortcut created on the desktop (as described in the previous comment), or copy that shortcut to the Start Menu and replace the default one that was installed there. – dxiv Jan 11 '16 at 17:40