Excel 97 – Saving Toolbar/Icon Settings

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Excel 97 – Saving Toolbar/Icon Settings

What files and folders are the Toolbar/Icon settings stored in? I would like to make a copy and store them safely in another location or at least as a back-up.

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I use this batch file which copies key Excel97 and Word97 settings to my network drive … I hope! The Excel toolbars and icons file is on the first line here (substitute “MYNAME” with “”). Your “custom.dic” may be in a different location. Paths: “progra~1” is “program files”, “micros~1” is “microsoft office”, “templa~1” is “templates”.

@XCOPY32 /Y C:WINDOWSMYNAME8.XLB U:*.* >nul
@XCOPY32 /Y C:PROGRA~1MICROS~1 OFFICEXLSTARTPERSONAL.XLS U:*.* >nul
@XCOPY32 /Y C:PROGRA~1MICROS~1TEMPLA~1NORMAL.DOT U:*.* >nul
@XCOPY32 /Y C:PROGRA~1MICROS~1OFFICECUSTOM.DIC U:*.* >nul
@EXIT

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John,
Thanks.
1 – I found username8.xlb under C:WINNT.
2 – For the record, I found Custom.dic under C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice and Normal.dot under C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeTemplates, just as you said.
3 – I did not realize there was an updated xcopy around. What’s the “Y” switch, overite-Yes?
4 – I see you use Personal.xls. What’s the implementation, is the file always open or can it be hidden? I don’t seem to find much info on Personal.xls

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I should have stated that my answers assume W9x. Re your questions:

3. Xcopy32 is nothin’ but the 32 bit xcopy distributed in W9x. “/Y” indeed tells it to overwrite existing files.

4. I didn’t think you could run Excel withOUT a personal.xls; it’s the usual place to keep all your macros available for all Excel workbooks; much like normal.dot is for Word. By default it is opened if it exists, and hidden. I have a bunch of little convenience macros in it, nothing like the giant-killers you’ll see from the VBA gurus posting here.

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I have created a file which I call menu.xls and saved it in C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeXLStart. This is the file that opens each time I restart Excel. Since I use it as a menu, I like to have the file open, switch to it and then select a button to execute a macro. But when I save personal.xls and save it there also, it opens in full view. Is there a switch or setting I am missing to allow me to hide personal.xls?

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John,
While we’re on the subject, is there (I’m sure there is, but I don’t know how) a way to put your batch file into a macro in my Menu.xls? That way I could “backup” my *.xlb right from Excel.

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You would have to rewrite it as VBA code, or call the batch file through a VBA shell command. Might be best to write it as an Application.WorkbookBeforeClose event in your personal.xls or menu.xls. But I’m out of my depth now; Hans, Legare or another VBA guru can help you there.

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Any valid Excel file in “..xlstart” gets loaded upon Excel startup. You hide “personal.xls” from the Window menu, when you exit Excel you’ll be asked if you want to save the changes; say yes and “personal.xls” will be hidden until you want to unhide it.

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This may interest you

disappearing buttons

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My reply to Mouse right click menu from a cell (01/01/07) may be helpful.

Question. How do you paste links to another reply?

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Just to the right of the subject of a reply is a button labeled “Show 1-Click TagPanel”. If you click on that button you will get a window with the message formatting controls in it. If you hover your mouse pointer over the buttons, a pop up will give the name of the buttons. The two at the right end of the top row are the ones for inserting a link. The first one is used to insert a link that looks like a URL, and the second one inserts a link that looks like a hilighted word or description.

Copy the URL of the link you want to insert. Put your cursor at the point in your message where you want the link and click on one of the link buttons. That will insert something that looks like this (url=link)description(/url) into your message with the parenthesis replaced by square brackets. Select the word “link” and paste your URL over it. Select the word “description and type your description over it.

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Thanks Legare, I had looked there but hadn’t worked out how to use it.

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