» Opening a template file automatically upon starting Microsoft Excel

There are two options for opening a workbook template automatically upon starting Excel.

First option
Save a workbook name Book.xlt ( in Excel 2000 name the book Sheet.xlt), which you customized, in the sub-folder XlStart. When Excel is started, a customized workbook Book1.xls (or Sheet1.xls in Excel 2000) is opened from within the template you saved, instead of the standard Book1.xls. The XlStart sub-folder is located in the same folder as the Office program on the hard drive.
To open a new workbook, press Ctrl+N or in the Standard toolbar, click the New icon.

Second option
Save the template file you created as MyWorkbook.xlt in any folder, and enter the name of the workbook template in the Options dialog box.

1. From the Tools menu, select Options.
2. Select the General tab.
3. In the Alternate startup file location box, enter the full path where you saved the MyWorkbook file.
4. Click OK.

Note
Do not use the two selected options simultaneously, unless you have created more than one workbook. Use only one of the two options (Excel tries to open the file with the same name twice).