» Opening a Template File Automatically When Starting Microsoft Excel

To have Excel open a template upon starting:

Option 1:

Save a template workbook file, named Book.xlt (in Excel 2000, the book name is Sheet.xlt), in the XlStart subfolder. When Excel starts, a customized workbook, Book1.xls (or Sheet1.xls in Excel 2000), is opened from within the template already saved, instead of the standard Book1.xls.
The XlStart subfolder is located in the same folder as Microsoft Office on the hard drive.
To open a new workbook from the template while working in Excel, press Ctrl+N, or in the Standard toolbar, click New.

Option 2:

1. Save the template workbook file as MyWorkbook.xlt (just a suggestion) in any folder.
2. From the Tools menu, select Options, and then select the General tab.
3. In the At start up, open all files in box (in Excel 97 and Excel 2000, this is the Alternate startup file location box), enter the full path of the saved MyWorkbook.xlt file.
4. Click OK.

Note:
Do not use the two options simultaneously, unless you have created more than one template workbook. Otherwise, Excel will try to open the file with the same name twice.