Excel Options and Settings (Windows and Mac)

Calculation

Calculation mode

Keep AutomaticWindowsMac When formulas recalculate: automatically, or only when you ask.

Automatic default: Every formula recalculates as soon as a value it depends on changes.
Partial: Same as Automatic, except What-If Analysis data tables wait for F9 (Fn + F9 on a Mac). The Mac calls this Automatic except for data tables.
Manual: Formulas recalculate only when you press F9. Until then they show stale results, and the only sign is "Calculate" in the status bar.

How the mode gets changed is the confusing part. It's a setting for Excel itself, not for one file, but it's saved with each workbook, and Excel takes the mode of the first workbook you open in a session. Open a workbook someone saved in Manual mode first, and every workbook you open after it calculates manually too. If your formulas stop updating, check Formulas > Calculation Options on the ribbon, which changes the same setting.

In Manual mode, F9 calculates all open workbooks, and Shift + F9 (Fn + Shift + F9 on a Mac) calculates only the active sheet.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Calculation options > Workbook Calculation
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > Calculation options
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep Automatic. If a huge workbook recalculates too slowly, Manual can help while you work on it, but switch back before you save and share the file, or the next person may inherit Manual mode.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Enable iterative calculation

Keep offWindowsMac Whether Excel calculates circular references instead of warning you.

On: Excel runs the loop again and again, up to Maximum Iterations times (100) or until no result changes by more than Maximum Change (0.001). No warning appears.
Off default: A formula that refers to its own cell, directly or through other formulas, triggers a circular reference warning and isn't calculated.

Like calculation mode, this setting is saved with each workbook, and the first workbook you open sets it for the session. To find and fix an accidental loop, see How to fix a circular reference error.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Calculation options > Enable iterative calculation
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > Use iterative calculation
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off unless you've built a circular calculation on purpose, like interest that depends on a balance that includes the interest. With it on, an accidental circular reference no longer triggers a warning, so a mistake can go unnoticed.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Set precision as displayed

Keep offWindowsMac Whether Excel permanently rounds values to what their cells display.

On: Excel throws away any digits a cell's number format doesn't show. A cell that displays 1.23 but holds 1.2345 now holds 1.23, and the lost digits can't be recovered.
Off default: Excel keeps every value at full precision, whatever the cell displays.

Excel warns that data will permanently lose accuracy when you turn it on, and the change applies to every sheet in the workbook.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > When calculating this workbook > Set precision as displayed
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > When Calculating Workbooks > Set precision as displayed
Applies to: The active workbook only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it off. It's sometimes suggested as a fix for floating-point errors, but rounding with the ROUND function exactly where you need it is much safer. See Floating-point errors in Excel.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Use 1904 date system

Keep offWindowsMac Which date a workbook counts its dates from.

On: Day 1 is January 2, 1904, as in very old Mac versions of Excel.
Off default: Day 1 is January 1, 1900, the standard on Windows and Mac.

Excel stores dates as numbers counted from a starting date (see Excel date), and the two systems are 1,462 days apart. Switching an existing workbook moves every date in it by four years and a day, and so does copying dates between workbooks that use different systems. If your dates are suddenly off by four years, check this setting in both workbooks.

Video: How Excel stores dates and times

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > When calculating this workbook > Use 1904 date system
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > When Calculating Workbooks > Use 1904 date system
Applies to: The active workbook only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it off. The 1904 system only exists for compatibility with workbooks made by old Mac versions of Excel.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Enable multi-threaded calculation

Keep onWindowsMac How many of your computer's processors Excel uses to recalculate.

On Windows default: Excel calculates independent formulas in parallel, using every processor unless you set a number under it.
Off Mac default: Excel calculates on one processor.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Formulas > Enable multi-threaded calculation
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > Enable multi-threaded calculation
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. On a Mac it starts off, so turn it on. It makes large workbooks recalculate faster, and there's rarely a reason to turn it off.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Recalculate workbook before saving

Keep onWindowsMac A recalculation before every save, when calculation is Manual.

On default: Saving recalculates first, so the saved file holds current results.
Off: Saving skips the recalculation, so the file can be saved with stale results.

The setting only matters in Manual calculation mode; in Automatic mode it's grayed out, because results are always current.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Calculation options > Recalculate workbook before saving
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > Recalculate workbook before saving
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. Turn it off only if you work in Manual mode on a workbook so large that recalculating at every save is a real cost, and remember to press F9 (Fn + F9 on a Mac) before you share it.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Formulas and errors

R1C1 reference style

Keep offWindowsMac Numbered columns and R1C1 references, like R2C3 in place of C2.

On: Columns are numbered (1, 2, 3), and formulas show references like R2C3 or R[-1]C, counted from the formula's own cell.
Off default: Columns are lettered (A, B, C), and formulas show references like C2.

Like calculation mode, the style is saved with each workbook, and the first workbook you open in a session sets it. If your columns suddenly show numbers after you open a file someone sent you, that file was saved in R1C1 style. Turn this off to switch back.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Working with formulas > R1C1 reference style
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Calculation > Use R1C1 reference style
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off unless you have a reason to use it, like writing VBA that builds formulas. Formulas calculate the same either way; only the way references are written changes.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Enable background error checking

Keep onWindowsMac Green triangles that flag possible mistakes in cells.

On default: A cell that breaks one of the error checking rules gets a green triangle in its corner. Point at the triangle for a card that explains the problem and offers to fix or ignore it. On a Mac, and in older versions of Excel for Windows, select the cell and click the warning button beside it instead.
Off: No triangles. Formula errors like #DIV/0! still display, but Excel doesn't point out possible mistakes.

The rules include formulas that result in an error, numbers stored as text, and formulas that don't match the ones around them. Reset Ignored Errors brings back the triangles you've told Excel to ignore. For the errors themselves, see Excel formula errors.

Videos: How to set formula error checking options | Examples of flagged errors in formulas

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Error Checking > Enable background error checking
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Error Checking > Turn on background error checking
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. If one rule keeps flagging things you don't care about, turn off that rule in the list under this setting instead of turning off checking altogether.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Formula AutoComplete

Keep onWindowsMac A list of matching functions and names as you type a formula.

On default: After you type = and a letter or two, a list of matching functions, named ranges, and tables appears. Tab inserts the highlighted name.
Off: No list. You type every name in full.

Video: How to enter functions

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Working with formulas > Formula AutoComplete
Mac: Excel > Preferences > AutoComplete > Show AutoComplete options for functions and named ranges
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. The list saves typing and catches misspelled function names before they become #NAME? errors.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Use monospace font for all formulas

Turn onWindows A monospace font for formulas as you type them.

On: When you type a formula in the formula bar, Excel switches to a monospace font (Consolas), where every character has the same width.
Off: Formulas use the same font as everything else.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Working with formulas > Use monospace font for all formulas
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it on if you write formulas. In a monospace font, characters that look alike in other fonts, like 0 and O or 1 and l, are easier to tell apart, and long formulas are easier to scan.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Numbers formatted as text or preceded by an apostrophe

Keep onWindowsMac An error check for numbers stored as text.

On default: A number stored as text gets a green triangle, with an option to Convert to Number.
Off: Numbers stored as text aren't flagged.

Storing a number as text is sometimes exactly what you want, for ZIP codes, IDs, and other codes. The quickest way, whatever your options are set to, is to type an apostrophe first: '00123 stays as text with its zeros. The apostrophe shows in the formula bar but not in the cell, and this rule flags the cell, which is why "preceded by an apostrophe" is in its name.

Video: How to enter numbers as text in Excel

This is one of the rules listed under background error checking, which has to be on for any rule to show.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Error checking rules > Numbers formatted as text or preceded by an apostrophe
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Error Checking > Show Errors For > Numbers formatted as text
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. A number stored as text looks normal but can be skipped by functions like SUM, and the triangle is often the only sign. If you store codes like 00123 as text on purpose, select the cells and choose Ignore Error.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Formulas inconsistent with other formulas in the region

Keep onWindowsMac An error check for a formula unlike those around it.

On default: In a column of formulas like =A1+B1, one that reads =A2*B2 gets a green triangle, with an option to copy the formula from the cell above.
Off: Formulas that break the pattern aren't flagged.

This is one of the rules under background error checking, which has to be on for any rule to show.

Video: Examples of flagged errors in formulas

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Error checking rules > Formulas inconsistent with other formulas in the region
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Error Checking > Show Errors For > Formulas that don't match nearby formulas
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. A formula that breaks the pattern is often a mistake, like a formula edited in one row only. When the difference is deliberate, choose Ignore Error for that cell.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Formulas which omit cells in a region

Keep onWindowsMac An error check for a range that stops short of nearby data.

On default: With numbers in E1:E3, the formula =SUM(E1:E2) in E4 gets a green triangle, with an option to Update Formula to Include Cells.
Off: Ranges that leave out neighboring data aren't flagged.

A formula that refers to an Excel Table can't miss new rows in the first place, because the table's references grow with it.

This is one of the rules under background error checking, which has to be on for any rule to show.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Error checking rules > Formulas which omit cells in a region
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Error Checking > Show Errors For > Formulas omitting cells in a region
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. It catches a classic mistake: a total that misses a row added after the formula was written.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Formulas referring to empty cells

Your callWindowsMac An error check for formulas that refer to empty cells.

On: A formula that refers to an empty cell gets a green triangle.
Off default: Formulas that refer to empty cells aren't flagged.

Video: How to set formula error checking options

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Error checking rules > Formulas referring to empty cells
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Error Checking > Show Errors For > Formulas referring to empty cells
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it off for everyday work, where many formulas point at cells that aren't filled in yet. Turn it on while you audit a finished model, to catch references that point at the wrong place.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Transition formula evaluation

Keep offWindowsMac Lotus 1-2-3 formula rules for a sheet, where text counts as zero.

On: Text in a formula counts as zero, even text that looks like a number. With "5" stored as text in A1, =A1*2 returns 0 and =A1+1 returns 1. Comparisons like =A1=B1 return 1 or 0 instead of TRUE or FALSE.
Off default: Excel's usual rules: =A1*2 returns 10, other text in arithmetic gives #VALUE!, and comparisons return TRUE or FALSE.

It's rarely on, but baffling when it is. The setting dates from the years when people moved from Lotus 1-2-3 to Excel, and it's saved with the worksheet. That's how it turns up today: in an old workbook, or a sheet copied from one, long after anyone remembers turning it on.

On Windows, the checkbox applies to the sheet chosen in the "Lotus compatibility Settings for" drop-down, so pick the sheet there first. The same section has Transition formula entry, which accepts formulas typed in Lotus 1-2-3 style. Leave that off too.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Lotus compatibility Settings for > Transition formula evaluation
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Compatibility > Transition formula evaluation
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it off. If one sheet's formulas give results that seem impossible, like a number stored as text multiplying to zero, check this setting for that sheet.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Data entry and conversion

Automatic data conversion

Turn off for codesWindowsMac Four settings that control whether Excel converts text to numbers and dates.

On default: All four conversions below are on, which is how Excel has always behaved.
Off: All four are off, and entries like 00123 and JAN1 stay as text.

Read the full guide to automatic data conversion

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Automatic Data Conversion > Enable all default data conversions below when entering, pasting, or loading text into Excel
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Automatic Data Conversion > Enable all default data conversions below when entering, pasting, or loading text into Excel
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

If you work with IDs, part numbers, account numbers, ZIP codes, or similar codes, turn off the conversions that damage them. The leading-zero and 15-digit settings matter most, because the data they change can't be recovered: the zeros and the extra digits are gone.

Scientists have a particular reason to turn off date conversion. In 2020, the committee that names human genes renamed genes like SEPT1 and MARCH1 (now SEPTIN1 and MARCHF1), partly because Excel kept turning them into dates.

If you mostly enter real numbers and dates, the defaults are fine. And when a value only needs to look different, a number format is the better tool: see Custom number formats.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Convert continuous letters and numbers to a date

Turn offWindowsMac Whether entries like JAN1 or SEPT2 become dates.

On default: Letters followed by digits become a month and day: JAN1 becomes January 1 of the current year, and SEPT2 becomes September 2.
Off: JAN1 and SEPT2 stay as text, exactly as typed.

The setting only covers letters and digits with nothing between them. With it off, entries with a space or separator still become dates: 1/2, 1-2, JAN 1, JAN-1, and 3-Mar all convert. To keep one of those as text, type an apostrophe first ('1/2), or format the cells as Text before you enter the data.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Automatic Data Conversion > Convert continuous letters and numbers to a date
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Automatic Data Conversion > Convert continuous letters and numbers to a date
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you work with codes like part numbers, room numbers, or gene names. You lose little: dates people type almost always have a separator (1/2, Jan 1), and those still convert.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Remove leading zeros and convert to a number

Turn offWindowsMac Whether entries like 00123 become numbers and lose their zeros.

On default: 00123 becomes the number 123, and the zeros are gone.
Off: 00123 stays as text, exactly as typed. 123 and 0.5 are still numbers.

Whatever this is set to, typing an apostrophe first ('00123) keeps one entry as text, zeros and all. If the zeros are only for display, a number format can show them while the values stay numbers. See Add leading zeros to numbers.

Video: How to enter numbers as text in Excel

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Automatic Data Conversion > Remove leading zeros and convert to a number
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Automatic Data Conversion > Remove leading zeros and convert to a number
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you enter ZIP codes, IDs, account numbers, or other codes with leading zeros. Numbers you type without a leading zero aren't affected.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Keep first 15 digits of long numbers and display in scientific notation

Turn offWindowsMac Whether entries longer than 15 digits become numbers and lose digits.

On default: The 16-digit 1234567890123456 is stored as 1234567890123450, and a 20-digit entry displays in scientific notation.
Off: An entry longer than 15 digits stays as text, with every digit intact.

Excel stores numbers to 15 significant digits, so a longer number can't be kept as a number: every digit after the 15th becomes a zero. Text is the only way to keep them all. Whatever this is set to, typing an apostrophe first keeps one entry as text.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Automatic Data Conversion > Keep first 15 digits of long numbers and display in scientific notation
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Automatic Data Conversion > Keep first 15 digits of long numbers and display in scientific notation
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off. Numbers this long are almost always identifiers (credit card, tracking, and serial numbers) that you'll never do math with, and the digits the conversion removes can't be recovered.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Convert digits surrounding the letter "E" to a number in scientific notation

Your callWindowsMac Whether entries like 12E3 become numbers in scientific notation.

On default: 12E3 becomes the number 12000, and 123E5 becomes 12300000.
Off: An entry like 12E3 stays as text, exactly as typed.

Once an entry is converted, the original code is gone: nothing in 12000 says it was typed as 12E3. Whatever this is set to, typing an apostrophe first ('12E3) keeps one entry as text.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Automatic Data Conversion > Convert digits surrounding the letter "E" to a number in scientific notation
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Automatic Data Conversion > Convert digits surrounding the letter "E" to a number in scientific notation
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you enter codes with digits on both sides of an E, like part numbers, lot numbers, or sample IDs. Leave it on if you type numbers in scientific notation on purpose.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Two-digit years

Type four-digit yearsWindowsMac The century Excel assigns to a two-digit year, like 30 in 1/1/30.

On Windows, Excel has no setting of its own: it uses the Windows date setting, which every program shares. With the current Windows default of 1950 to 2049, typing 1/1/49 gives 2049, and 1/1/50 gives 1950. Older versions of Windows used 1930 to 2029, so the cutoff on your PC may differ.

On a Mac, Excel has its own setting. Its default of 50 matches current Windows: years before 50 go to the 2000s, so 1/1/49 is 2049, and 1/1/50 is 1950.

Either way, the risk is the same: someone born in 1948, entered as 1/1/48, gets a birth date in 2048.

Where to find it

Windows: Control Panel > Region > Additional settings > Date > When a two-digit year is entered, interpret it as a year between
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Date Options > Interpret as 21st century for two-digit years before
Default: 1950 and 2049 (Windows); 50 (Mac)

Recommendation

Type four-digit years, and this never matters. It matters most for birth dates and other historical dates, where a two-digit year can land in the wrong century.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Automatically insert a decimal point

Keep offWindowsMac Whether Excel adds a decimal point to numbers as you type.

On: Numbers you type are divided by a power of 10 set by Places (2 by default): 1234 becomes 12.34, and 5 becomes 0.05. A number you type with its own decimal point is left alone. The status bar shows "Fixed Decimal".
Off default: Numbers are entered exactly as typed.

The setting is for keying in long columns of currency amounts without typing the decimal point. Left on by accident, it's the usual reason typed numbers come out 100 times too small.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Automatically insert a decimal point
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Automatically insert a decimal point (places)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off. If you have a long column of amounts to key in, turn it on for that job, then turn it off again.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Enable AutoComplete for cell values

Keep onWindowsMac Suggestions from entries already in the column, as you type.

On default: When the first letters you type match a text entry already in the column, Excel fills in the rest, and Enter accepts it.
Off: Excel enters exactly what you type.

AutoComplete only suggests text, never numbers or dates. On a Mac, the AutoComplete pane has two more settings: whether to complete the closest match, and how many letters to type before suggestions appear.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Enable AutoComplete for cell values
Mac: Excel > Preferences > AutoComplete > Use AutoComplete
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on; it saves typing in lists with repeated values. The catch is the Enter key: to enter only what you typed, press Delete to clear the suggestion first.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Automatically Flash Fill

Your callWindows Suggestions to fill a column when Excel spots a pattern.

On default: When you type a few examples next to your data, like first names taken from a column of full names, Excel shows a gray preview of the rest of the column, and Enter fills it.
Off: No suggestions as you type. Flash Fill still works when you ask for it, with Control + E or Data > Flash Fill.

Flash Fill writes values, not formulas, so the results don't change when the source data does.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Automatically Flash Fill
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on if the suggestions help. Turn it off if they keep appearing when you don't want them; the keyboard shortcut Control + E still runs Flash Fill on demand.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Enable automatic percent entry

Keep onWindows How Excel reads a number typed into a cell formatted as a percentage.

On default: What you type is the percentage: 5 enters 5%, and 0.05 enters 0.05%.
Off: What you type is the underlying number, shown times 100: 5 enters 500%, and 0.05 enters 5%.

It only affects cells formatted as a percentage before you type. In any cell, you can also type the percent sign yourself: 5% is always 5%.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Enable automatic percent entry
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. It lets you type percentages the way you say them. Just don't type a decimal out of habit: with it on, 0.05 means 0.05%, not 5%.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Extend data range formats and formulas

Keep onWindowsMac Formats and formulas for new rows added below a list.

On default: When you type a new row at the end of a list, Excel formats it like the rows above and copies formulas that repeat on every row.
Off: A new row gets no formatting or formulas from the list.

To be extended, a format or formula must appear in at least three of the five rows above the new one.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Extend data range formats and formulas
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Extend data range formats and formulas
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. For lists you add to often, an Excel Table does the same job more reliably.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Use system separators

Keep onWindowsMac Where Excel gets its decimal and thousands separators.

On default: Excel uses the decimal and thousands separators from your computer's region settings, like 1,234.56 in the US or 1.234,56 in Germany.
Off: Excel uses the Decimal separator and Thousands separator you type into the boxes below, for Excel only.

Formulas take the separator between arguments from the list separator in your computer's region settings, not from this setting. The exception: on Windows, if you make Excel's decimal separator the same character as the list separator (a comma in the US), Excel switches formulas to semicolons, so =SUM(1,2) becomes =SUM(1;2).

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Use system separators
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Use system separators
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on unless you need Excel to use different separators from your other apps, for example to work with files from another country.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Show Convert to Data Types when typing

Your callWindowsMac Suggestions to turn what you type into a linked data type.

On default: When you type something that matches a data type category, like a company or country name, Excel offers to convert it to a linked data type.
Off: No offer as you type. You can still convert cells with the commands on the Data tab.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > User Interface options > Show Convert to Data Types when typing
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Show Convert to Data Types when typing
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on if you use data types. Turn it off if the suggestions only get in the way.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show legacy data import wizards: From Text (Legacy)

Your callWindows Shows or hides the classic Text Import Wizard on the Data tab.

On: Data > Get Data > Legacy Wizards > From Text (Legacy) opens the classic Text Import Wizard, where you choose a type for each column before the data lands.
Off default: Importing a text file goes through Power Query (Data > From Text/CSV).

The same group has legacy wizards for Access, the web, SQL Server, OData, XML, Data Connections, and Microsoft Query.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Show legacy data import wizards > From Text (Legacy)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it on if you prefer the old wizard for quick one-off imports, especially to mark a column as Text so leading zeros and long numbers survive. For imports you repeat, Power Query is the better tool.

Last verified October 23, 2026

AutoCorrect

Internet and network paths with hyperlinks

Turn offWindowsMac Automatic links for the web and email addresses you type.

On default: Typing something like www.example.com or name@example.com makes it a link, and clicking the cell opens it.
Off: Addresses stay as plain text.

To undo a single link right after Excel creates it, press Control + Z (Command + Z on a Mac): the link goes and the text stays. To make a link on purpose, use Control + K, or build one with the HYPERLINK function.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type > Internet and network paths with hyperlinks
Mac: Excel > Preferences > AutoCorrect > Replace internet and network paths with hyperlinks
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you keep email addresses or URLs as data: plain text is easier to select and edit. You can still add a link on purpose with Control + K (Command + K on a Mac).

Last verified October 26, 2026

Replace text as you type

Keep onWindowsMac AutoCorrect replacements as you type, like (c) with ©.

On default: Text that matches an entry in the AutoCorrect list is replaced: (c) becomes ©, and teh becomes the.
Off: Excel enters exactly what you type.

The list is also a handy typing shortcut: add an entry of your own, like a short code for a long product name, and Excel expands it as you type.

The replacement happens when you type a space after the text, or press Enter. To keep one entry as typed, press Control + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) right after the replacement, before you press Enter. After Enter, Control + Z removes the whole entry instead.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoCorrect > Replace text as you type
Mac: Excel > Preferences > AutoCorrect > Replace text as you type
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on, and delete the list entries that get in your way instead, like (c) if you type labels such as (a), (b), (c). The list is shared by all Office apps, so a change applies to Word and Outlook too.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Capitalize first letter of sentences

Your callWindowsMac Automatic capitalization of the first word after a period.

On default: Typing done. next step gives done. Next step.
Off: Excel leaves the capitalization as typed.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoCorrect > Capitalize first letter of sentences
Mac: Excel > Preferences > AutoCorrect > Capitalize first letter of sentences
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on if you type sentences in cells, like notes or comments. Turn it off if you enter codes or abbreviations with periods that Excel keeps capitalizing after.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Editing and selection

After pressing Enter, move selection

Your callWindowsMac Where the selection goes when you press Enter.

On default: Enter moves the selection one cell in the Direction you pick: Down (the default), Right, Up, or Left.
Off: The selection stays in the cell you just entered.

On a Mac, the key is Return. The Mac key for entering without moving is Command + Return because, since macOS 15 (Sequoia), Control + Return opens a context menu.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > After pressing Enter, move selection
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > After pressing Return, move selection
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

If you enter data across rows, set Direction to Right. Otherwise the default is fine: whatever this is set to, Tab moves right, Shift + Enter (Shift + Return on a Mac) moves the opposite way, and Control + Enter (Command + Return on a Mac) enters the value without moving.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Allow editing directly in cells

Keep onWindowsMac Where you edit a cell: in the cell itself, or only in the formula bar.

On default: Double-clicking a cell or pressing F2 (Control + U on a Mac) puts the cursor in the cell.
Off: F2 moves the cursor to the formula bar, and double-clicking a formula selects the cells it refers to.

You don't need to change this setting to jump to a formula's inputs: the keyboard shortcut Control + [ selects them with the setting on or off.

Video: How to trace formula relationships

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Allow editing directly in cells
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Edit directly in cells
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on. Some financial modelers turn it off so that double-click jumps to a formula's inputs, but Control + [ does the same jump without giving up in-cell editing.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Scroll Lock

Not a setting Not a setting, but a key that makes the arrow keys scroll the sheet.

On: The arrow keys scroll the sheet one row or column at a time, and the selected cell doesn't move. The status bar shows "Scroll Lock".
Off: The arrow keys move the selection, as usual.

Nothing in Excel's options controls this. Scroll Lock is a keyboard state, so it stays on until you press the key again, even across workbooks.

Recommendation

Press the Scroll Lock key to turn it off. For keyboards without one, see How to turn off Scroll Lock in Excel.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop

Keep onWindowsMac Whether you can drag the fill handle, and drag cells to move them.

On default: The small square at the bottom right of a selection, the fill handle, copies or extends values and formulas when you drag it. Dragging a selection's border moves the cells.
Off: No fill handle, and dragging a border does nothing. Copy and paste still work.

A tip while it's on: double-click the fill handle to copy a formula down as far as the data in the next column goes, with no dragging. The setting under this one, Alert before overwriting cells, warns you before a drag replaces data that's already there.

Videos: How to use drag and drop in Excel | How to enter custom patterns with the fill handle in Excel

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Allow fill handle and cell drag-and-drop
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. If the fill handle has disappeared, this setting is off: turn it back on.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Custom lists

Add your ownWindowsMac The lists the fill handle continues for you, like days and months.

Excel starts with four lists: day names and month names, each spelled out and abbreviated. Type any item from a list, drag the fill handle, and Excel continues the sequence, wrapping around at the end. With a list of North, South, East, West, filling from South gives East, West, North, South.

To add a list, type the items in the dialog, or select them on a worksheet and click Import. Custom lists belong to Excel on your computer, so they work in every workbook.

Custom lists also set a sort order. In the Sort dialog, choose Custom List under Order to sort by your list instead of alphabetically.

Videos: How to sort a pivot table with a custom list | Sort by custom list with SORTBY

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > General > Edit Custom Lists
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Custom Lists > Custom lists
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Add a list for any series you type often, like regions, departments, or sizes (S, M, L, XL). Then type any item and drag the fill handle to fill in the rest, in order.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Alert before overwriting cells

Keep onWindowsMac A warning before a drag overwrites existing data.

On default: Dragging cells onto cells that hold data asks "There's already data here. Do you want to replace it?"
Off: The drag replaces the data without asking.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Alert before overwriting cells
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Alert before overwriting cells
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. It costs one click and saves you from dropping a selection on the wrong cells.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show Paste Options button when content is pasted

Your callWindowsMac A Paste Options button that appears after you paste.

On default: After you paste, a small button appears at the corner of the pasted range. Click it, or press Control, to change how the paste was applied.
Off: No button. Paste Special still offers every choice.

The setting under it, Show Insert Options buttons, controls the similar button that appears when you insert rows, columns, or cells.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste > Show Paste Options button when content is pasted
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Cut and Paste Options > Show Paste Options
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on if you use it to switch a paste to values or formatting after the fact. Turn it off if the button gets in your way; Paste Special does the same job.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show Insert Options buttons

Your callWindowsMac A formatting button that appears after you insert rows or columns.

On default: After you insert rows, columns, or cells, a small button offers Format Same As Above, Format Same As Below, or Clear Formatting.
Off: No button. New rows and columns take the formatting of the ones above or to the left.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste > Show Insert Options buttons
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Cut and Paste Options > Show Insert Options
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on if you use it. Turn it off if the button only gets in the way; you can always format new rows yourself.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse

Keep offWindows What the mouse wheel does: scroll the sheet, or zoom it.

On: Rolling the mouse wheel zooms in and out.
Off default: Rolling the wheel scrolls the sheet, and Control + wheel zooms.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Editing options > Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off. Scrolling is what most people expect from the wheel, and Control + wheel zooms whenever you want it to. If your wheel suddenly zooms instead of scrolling, check this setting, and check that the Control key isn't stuck.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Transition navigation keys

Keep offWindows Lotus 1-2-3 keys for moving around and entering text.

On: Text you type gets a Lotus label prefix, so typing abc shows 'abc in the formula bar, and some keys move and edit the way they did in Lotus 1-2-3.
Off default: Excel's own keys, and no prefix on text you type.

The setting dates from the years when people moved from Lotus 1-2-3 to Excel. The apostrophe is a Lotus label prefix, the mark that made an entry text, and Excel kept it: an apostrophe typed first still makes any entry text.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Lotus compatibility > Transition navigation keys
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off. If an apostrophe appears in front of everything you type, this is the likely cause.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Display

Show a zero in cells that have zero value

Keep onWindowsMac How zeros display: as 0, or as empty cells.

On default: Zeros display as 0.
Off: Every zero on the sheet displays as an empty cell, including results you might want to see.

The setting belongs to the active worksheet and is saved with it, so turning it off on one sheet doesn't affect the others. A hidden zero looks exactly like an empty cell, which can be confusing later.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show a zero in cells that have zero value
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Zero values
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Leave it on, and use a custom number format when you want zeros hidden in specific cells. The format 0;-0;;@ hides zeros only where you apply it.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Office Theme and dark mode

Your callWindowsMac The colors of the ribbon and menus, including a dark mode for the worksheet.

Use system setting default: Excel follows Windows: Black when Windows is in dark mode, light otherwise.
Black: A dark ribbon and menus, plus a Switch Modes button on the View tab that turns the worksheet dark too.
Dark Gray, White, or Colorful: These change the ribbon's colors only. The worksheet stays white.

The theme applies to every Office app, not just Excel. Dark mode for the worksheet only changes what you see: the sheet still prints on white, and people you share it with see it in their own mode.

On a Mac, Excel follows the Mac's appearance setting. Check Turn off Dark Mode to keep Excel light while the rest of the Mac is dark.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office > Office Theme
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > Personalize > Turn off Dark Mode
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

For a dark worksheet, choose Black (or keep Use system setting with Windows in dark mode), then click View > Switch Modes.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Show Quick Analysis options on selection

Turn offWindows A Quick Analysis button beside every range you select.

On default: A Quick Analysis button, offering formatting, charts, totals, and tables, appears at the corner when you select a range that contains data.
Off: No button. Quick Analysis is still available with Control + Q.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > User Interface options > Show Quick Analysis options on selection
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you don't use Quick Analysis. When you do want it, the keyboard shortcut Control + Q opens it.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Show gridlines

Your callWindowsMac Shows or hides the gray lines between cells.

On default: Light gray lines outline every cell.
Off: The sheet has a plain background. Borders you've applied to cells still show.

The setting belongs to the active worksheet, and the Gridlines checkbox on the View tab changes the same setting. Gridlines don't print either way; to print them, check Print under Gridlines on the Page Layout tab.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show gridlines
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Gridlines
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Leave gridlines on while you build a sheet. Turning them off is a quick way to make a finished report or dashboard look cleaner.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Focus Cell

Worth tryingWindowsMac A highlight on the active cell's row and column.

On: The active cell's row and column are shaded, and the shading follows the selection as you move.
Off default: Only the active cell itself is outlined.

Focus Cell isn't in Excel's options: it's a button on the View tab, and the arrow beside it picks the highlight color. It's a recent addition, so if you don't see it, update Excel.

Where to find it

Windows: View > Focus Cell (on the ribbon)
Mac: View > Show > Focus Cell (on the ribbon)

Recommendation

Try it on wide or long sheets, where it's easy to lose your place reading across a row. It's a one-click toggle, so you can turn it on only when you need it.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Show formulas in cells instead of their calculated results

Keep offWindowsMac What cells show: their formulas, or the results.

On: Every formula on the sheet displays as typed, like =SUM(C5:C10).
Off default: Cells show the results of their formulas.

If only some cells show a formula instead of its result, this setting isn't the cause: those cells are probably formatted as Text, or the formulas start with an apostrophe. See Excel shows formula but not result.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show formulas in cells instead of their calculated results
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Formulas
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it off, and switch it on when you want to see how a sheet works: it's a quick way to audit formulas, spot a typed number where a formula should be, or print the formulas for review. The keyboard shortcut Control + ` (the grave accent, left of the 1 key) toggles it.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Show page breaks

Keep offWindowsMac Dashed lines that mark where printed pages break.

On: Dashed lines show where each printed page will end.
Off default: No page break lines.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show page breaks
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Page breaks
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

If dashed lines appeared after you printed or used Print Preview, Excel turned this on for you: turn it off to hide them. To see and adjust page breaks on purpose, use View > Page Break Preview instead.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Show formula bar

Keep onWindowsMac Shows or hides the formula bar above the worksheet.

On default: The formula bar shows the contents of the active cell, including its formula.
Off: No formula bar. You see a formula only by editing the cell.

If the formula bar is there but too short for a long formula, expand it with Control + Shift + U.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show formula bar
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Formula bar
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. If the formula bar has disappeared, turn it back on here, or with the Formula Bar checkbox on the View tab, which changes the same setting.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show row and column headers

Keep onWindowsMac Shows or hides a worksheet's row numbers and column letters.

On default: Row numbers run down the left edge and column letters across the top.
Off: No row numbers or column letters on this sheet.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show row and column headers
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Row and column headers
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it on while you work. Turning headers off can tidy a finished dashboard or form, and the Headings checkbox on the View tab changes the same setting.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show sheet tabs

Keep onWindowsMac Shows or hides a workbook's worksheet tabs.

On default: Tabs for each worksheet appear at the bottom left of the window.
Off: No sheet tabs. You can still move between sheets with Control + Page Down and Control + Page Up (Option + Right Arrow and Option + Left Arrow on a Mac).

If only some tabs are missing, those sheets are probably hidden, which is a different thing: right-click any tab and choose Unhide.

Video: How to hide and unhide worksheets

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this workbook > Show sheet tabs
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Sheet tabs
Applies to: The active workbook only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it on. If the tabs are missing and this setting is already on, the horizontal scroll bar may be covering them: drag the small handle at the left end of the scroll bar to the right.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show horizontal and vertical scroll bars

Keep onWindows Shows or hides a workbook's scroll bars.

On default: Scroll bars appear along the bottom and right edges of the window.
Off: No scroll bars in this workbook. The mouse wheel and arrow keys still scroll.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this workbook > Show horizontal scroll bar, Show vertical scroll bar
Applies to: The active workbook only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep them on. If a scroll bar is missing, check these two settings.

Last verified October 23, 2026

For cells with comments, show

Keep the defaultWindowsMac How comments, notes, and their indicators show on a sheet.

No comments, notes, or indicators: Nothing shows, not even the small marks in the corner of each cell.
Indicators only, and comments and notes on hover Windows default: A small mark in the cell's corner, and the comment or note appears when you point at the cell.
Indicators and notes, and comments on hover: Notes stay visible on the sheet all the time; comments still appear on hover.

The Mac has similar choices with different wording: no comments or indicators, indicators only and comments on rollover, or comments and indicators.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display > For cells with comments, show
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > For cells with comments, show
Default: Indicators only, and comments and notes on hover (Windows); Indicators only, and comments on rollover (Mac)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep the default. Hiding indicators makes it easy to miss that a cell has a comment.

Last verified October 23, 2026

For objects, show

Keep AllWindowsMac Shows or hides a workbook's pictures, shapes, and charts.

All default: Pictures, shapes, charts, and other objects display.
Nothing (hide objects): Every object in the workbook is hidden. The Mac adds a third choice, Placeholders, which shows a gray box in place of each object.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this workbook > For objects, show
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > For objects, show
Applies to: The active workbook only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep All. If your pictures and charts have vanished, this is the first thing to check. The keyboard shortcut Control + 6 switches objects off and on, and it's easy to press by accident.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Show function ScreenTips

Keep onWindowsMac A tip listing a function's arguments as you type it.

On default: After you type a function name and an opening parenthesis, a tip lists its arguments and bolds the one you're on.
Off: No tip. You enter arguments from memory.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show function ScreenTips
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Function ScreenTips
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. The tip is the quickest reminder of argument order, and you can click a function's name in it to open its help page.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show sheet right-to-left

Keep offWindows Right-to-left layout for a worksheet, with column A on the right.

On: Column A is at the right edge of the window, columns run leftward, and the row numbers move to the right side.
Off default: Column A is at the left, as usual.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show sheet right-to-left
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it off unless you work in a right-to-left language like Arabic or Hebrew. If a sheet suddenly looks mirrored, this is the setting to check.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Show outline symbols if an outline is applied

Keep onWindowsMac Shows or hides the buttons for collapsing grouped rows and columns.

On default: Grouped rows and columns show plus and minus buttons, and numbered level buttons, in the margin.
Off: The buttons are hidden. The groups stay, collapsed or expanded as they were.

Video: Shortcuts to group, ungroup, and outline

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this worksheet > Show outline symbols if an outline is applied
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Outline symbols
Applies to: The active worksheet only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it on. If the group buttons have disappeared, this is the setting, and the keyboard shortcut Control + 8 switches it.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Enable Live Preview

Keep onWindows Previews on the sheet as you point at a gallery choice.

On default: Pointing at an option in a gallery, like Cell Styles, a font, or a chart style, shows it on the selection before you click.
Off: Nothing changes until you click.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > User Interface options > Enable Live Preview
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on, unless previews make a very large workbook sluggish as you move the mouse over a gallery.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Disable hardware graphics acceleration

Removed No longer a setting, though many guides still say to turn it off.

The checkbox used to be in the Display section of File > Options > Advanced. Current versions of Excel don't have it, so those guides no longer apply.

Recommendation

If Excel flickers, draws the screen badly, or leaves parts of the window blank, update Office and your graphics driver. That's the problem the old option worked around.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Ribbon and add-ins

Developer tab

Turn on for macrosWindowsMac Shows or hides the Developer tab, with tools for macros and VBA.

On: A Developer tab appears on the ribbon, with the Visual Basic editor, Record Macro, the Macros list, form controls like buttons and drop-down lists, and the add-ins dialogs.
Off default: No Developer tab. On Windows, View > Macros still records and runs macros.

Microsoft hides the Developer tab by default, but much of Excel's automation lives there. The keyboard shortcut Alt + F11 (Fn + Option + F11 on a Mac) opens the Visual Basic editor whether or not the tab is showing.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Main Tabs > Developer
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > In Ribbon, Show > Developer tab
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it on if you record macros, write VBA, or build forms with buttons and other controls. If you don't, you won't miss it.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Excel Add-ins (Analysis ToolPak and Solver)

Turn on as neededWindowsMac Which add-ins load with Excel, including the Analysis ToolPak and Solver.

On: The Analysis ToolPak adds Data > Data Analysis, with tools for histograms, regression, descriptive statistics, and more. Solver adds Data > Solver, for finding the inputs that maximize, minimize, or hit a target.
Off default: Neither command appears on the Data tab.

Both come with Excel, so there's nothing to download: they're off until you check them here. On Windows, the list also has Analysis ToolPak - VBA, which is only for macros that call the ToolPak's tools; you don't need it to use them yourself.

The ToolPak writes its results as values, not formulas, so they don't update when your data changes. For a histogram that does, see Histogram with FREQUENCY.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Add-ins > Manage: Excel Add-ins > Go
Mac: Tools > Excel Add-ins (on the menu bar)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Check the add-ins you need and leave the rest off. If a tutorial sends you to Data Analysis or Solver and the button isn't there, this is the fix.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Microsoft Excel menu key

Your callWindows A key that shows the ribbon's shortcut letters, like Alt does.

/ default: Pressing / on a selected cell shows the ribbon's KeyTips, the letters you press to run a command, just as Alt does. The / doesn't go into the cell.
Blank: / is typed into the cell like any other character.

The setting is a holdover from Lotus 1-2-3, where / opened the menu, and it only affects a slash at the start of an entry: 1/2 types normally, because the 1 has already started the entry.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Lotus compatibility > Microsoft Excel menu key
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Clear the box if you often type entries that start with a slash. If it's only now and then, press F2 first, then type the entry.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Tables and PivotTables

Use GetPivotData functions for PivotTable references

Turn offWindowsMac What clicking a PivotTable cell inserts into a formula.

On default: Clicking a PivotTable value inserts a GETPIVOTDATA formula, which finds the value by its field names.
Off: Clicking a PivotTable value inserts a plain reference like =B5, which you can copy down a column.

Either way, typing the address instead of clicking always gives a plain reference. On Windows, the same switch is also on the ribbon, at PivotTable Analyze > PivotTable > Options > Generate GetPivotData.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Working with formulas > Use GetPivotData functions for PivotTable references
Mac: PivotTable Analyze > Options > Generate GetPivotData (on the ribbon)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you want ordinary references. Leave it on if you build reports with GETPIVOTDATA on purpose: those formulas keep working when the PivotTable's layout changes, and plain references don't.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Disable automatic grouping of Date/Time columns in PivotTables

Turn onWindowsMac Turns off automatic date grouping in PivotTables, by years, quarters, and months.

On: A date field added to Rows or Columns shows the dates as they are.
Off default: Excel groups the dates for you, adding fields like Years, Quarters, and Months to the field list.

Video: How to group a pivot table by date

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Data > Data options > Disable automatic grouping of Date/Time columns in PivotTables
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Tables & Filters > PivotTables > Disable automatic grouping of Date/Time columns in PivotTables
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it on. Automatic grouping adds fields you didn't ask for, and grouping dates yourself with Group Field on the PivotTable Analyze tab takes one click when you do want it.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Use table names in formulas

Keep onWindowsMac What clicking a table cell inserts into a formula.

On default: Clicking a table cell inserts a structured reference: [@Amount] in a formula inside the table, and Sales[@Amount] in one outside it on the same row.
Off: Clicking a table cell inserts a regular reference like D5.

Video: How to copy and lock structured references

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Formulas > Working with formulas > Use table names in formulas
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Tables & Filters > Tables > Use table names in formulas
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. Structured references are easier to read, and they adjust as the table grows. You can always type a regular reference instead of clicking.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Include new rows and columns in table

Keep onWindowsMac Tables that grow to include data typed just below or beside them.

On default: Type in the row below a table or the column to its right, and the table expands to include it, with the table's formatting and any calculated columns.
Off: The table stays the same size, and data next to it is just ordinary cells.

If a table has stopped expanding, check this setting first. The AutoCorrect Options button that appears after an expansion offers Stop Automatically Expanding Tables, which turns this setting off for every table, not just the one in front of you.

To resize a table by hand, drag the handle at its bottom-right corner, or use Table Design > Resize Table.

Video: How Excel Table ranges work

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type > Include new rows and columns in table
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Tables & Filters > Tables > Automatically expand tables
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on: automatic expansion is why formulas and charts built on a table pick up new data, and PivotTables pick it up when you refresh them. To skip it once, press Control + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) right after it happens, which undoes the expansion and keeps what you typed.

Last verified October 28, 2026

Fill formulas in tables to create calculated columns

Keep onWindowsMac Whether a formula entered in a table column fills the whole column.

On default: Enter a formula in one cell of a table column, and Excel copies it to every row, making a calculated column. New rows get the formula too.
Off: The formula stays in the one cell you entered it in.

The AutoCorrect Options button that appears after the fill also offers "Stop Automatically Creating Calculated Columns". That doesn't just stop this one column: it turns this setting off for every table, and the only way to turn it back on is here.

Video: How to use Calculated Columns

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type > Fill formulas in tables to create calculated columns
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Tables & Filters > Tables > Automatically fill formulas
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on: one formula per column is much of the point of an Excel Table. To skip the fill just once, press Control + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) right after it happens, which undoes the fill and keeps your formula.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Group dates in the AutoFilter menu

Keep onWindowsMac Year, month, and day grouping in a filter's list of dates.

On default: The filter menu for a date column shows years you can expand into months and days.
Off: The filter menu lists every date in the column individually.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this workbook > Group dates in the AutoFilter menu
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Tables & Filters > Filters > Group dates when filtering
Applies to: The active workbook only, and it's saved with the file

Recommendation

Keep it on. Picking a whole year or month is the common case, and a long flat list of dates is hard to use.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Files, saving and recovery

AutoSave files stored in the Cloud by default

Your callWindowsMac Whether workbooks in OneDrive or SharePoint open with AutoSave on.

On default: Cloud files open with AutoSave on, so every change is saved as you make it, including experiments you meant to throw away.
Off: Cloud files open with AutoSave off. You can still turn it on for one file with the AutoSave switch in the title bar.

AutoSave only works for files in OneDrive or SharePoint. For a file on your computer, the AutoSave switch is off and grayed out. If AutoSave saves something you didn't want, File > Info > Version History can restore an earlier version.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > AutoSave files stored in the Cloud by default in Excel
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Save > Turn on AutoSave by default
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave it on if you want every change saved. If you like to try something and then close without saving, turn it off and use the AutoSave switch for the files where you want it.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Save AutoRecover information every N minutes

Keep onWindowsMac Recovery copies of open workbooks, and how often Excel saves them.

On default: Every N minutes (10 by default), Excel saves a recovery copy that it offers to restore the next time it starts after a crash.
Off: No recovery copies. After a crash, anything since your last save is lost.

On a Mac, the setting is just on or off: there's no interval to set.

AutoRecover isn't a backup and doesn't save your file. On Windows, the setting under it, "Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving", rescues a workbook you closed with Don't Save by mistake: look in File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Save AutoRecover information every
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Save > Enable AutoRecover
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. A shorter interval, like 5 minutes, loses less work after a crash.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Save files in this format

Keep .xlsxWindowsMac The file type Excel uses when you save a new workbook.

Excel Workbook (.xlsx) default: The standard format, which any version of Excel since 2007 can open. It can't store macros.
Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm): Like .xlsx, but it can store VBA macros.
Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb): Smaller and faster to open and save for very large files, and it can store macros, but other programs read it less reliably.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Save files in this format
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Compatibility > Save files in this format
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep .xlsx. It's the format everyone can open, and you can still pick another format in Save As for the workbooks that need one.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Default local file location

Your callWindowsMac The folder Excel starts in when you save or open a file on your computer.

Documents default: Save and Open start in your Documents folder when you browse your computer.
Another folder: They start in the folder you name instead.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Default local file location
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > Default local file location
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Point it at the folder where you keep most of your workbooks, and you'll spend less time clicking through folders.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Save to Computer by default

Your callWindowsMac Where Excel suggests saving a new workbook: your computer, or OneDrive.

On: Saving a new workbook suggests a folder on your computer, starting in the default local file location.
Off default: If you're signed in to Microsoft 365, saving a new workbook suggests OneDrive.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Save to Computer by default
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Save > Save to local location by default
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it on if you keep your workbooks on your computer rather than in OneDrive.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Show data loss warning when editing comma delimited files (*.csv)

Keep onWindowsMac A warning that saving a CSV file keeps only plain values.

On default: When you change a CSV file, a bar warns that formatting, formulas, and extra sheets will be lost if you save it as CSV, and offers to save as a workbook instead.
Off: No warning. Saving a CSV keeps only the active sheet's values.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Show data loss warning when editing comma delimited files (*.csv)
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Save > Show data loss warning when editing comma delimited files (*.csv)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on unless you edit CSV files all day and know exactly what CSV keeps.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files with keyboard shortcuts

Turn onWindows Classic Open and Save As dialogs for Control + O and Control + S.

On: Control + O opens the Open dialog, and Control + S on a new workbook opens the Save As dialog.
Off default: The same shortcuts open the full-screen Open and Save As pages on the File tab, called the Backstage.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files with keyboard shortcuts
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it on if you work from the keyboard: the classic dialogs are quicker to navigate. F12 opens the Save As dialog either way.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Show this number of Recent Workbooks

Keep the defaultWindows How many workbooks appear in the Recent list on the File tab.

50 default: File > Open and the Home page list your 50 most recent workbooks.
0: No recent workbooks are listed, and the list is cleared.

The checkbox under it, "Quickly access this number of Recent Workbooks", also lists that many recent files in the left pane of the File tab.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show this number of Recent Workbooks
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep the default. Set it to 0 only on a shared computer where the list shouldn't show what you've opened. Pinning a workbook keeps it in the list whatever the number.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)

Keep offWindows Whether Excel ignores requests from other programs, like File Explorer.

On: Excel ignores requests from other programs, so double-clicking a workbook can open Excel without the file, or show "There was a problem sending the command to the program."
Off default: Excel answers other programs, and double-clicking a workbook opens it.

DDE, Dynamic Data Exchange, is an old way for Windows programs to send each other commands. Opening a workbook you double-click in File Explorer can depend on it, which is why this setting can stop files from opening.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > General > Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off. If double-clicked workbooks stop opening, this is one of the first things to check.

Last verified October 23, 2026

File open preference

Your callWindowsMac Where OneDrive and SharePoint links open: the Excel app, or a browser.

Desktop default: A link to a workbook on OneDrive or SharePoint opens in the Excel app.
Browser: The link opens in Excel for the web, in your browser.

The choice is shared: change it in Excel, and Word and PowerPoint follow. It covers links you click in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Links in Teams and other apps follow their own settings.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > File open preference > Open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files using
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > Link Handling > Open supported Office files from OneDrive or SharePoint in Office apps for Mac
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Choose Desktop if you want shared files in the full Excel app. To open just one file the other way, right-click its link.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Startup and new workbooks

Show the Start screen when this application starts

Turn offWindowsMac What Excel opens to: the Start screen, or a new blank workbook.

On default: Excel opens to a screen of templates and recent files.
Off: Excel opens with a new blank workbook, ready to type in.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > Start up options > Show the Start screen when this application starts
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > Show Workbook Gallery when opening Excel
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you usually start with a blank workbook. Your recent files are still a click away in File > Open.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Include this many sheets

Keep 1WindowsMac How many worksheets a new blank workbook starts with.

1 default: New workbooks start with one sheet, Sheet1.
More: New workbooks start with that many sheets, up to 255.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > When creating new workbooks > Include this many sheets
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > Sheets in new workbooks
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep 1. Adding a sheet takes one click on the + beside the sheet tabs, or Shift + F11 (Fn + Shift + F11 on a Mac), and empty sheets only clutter a file.

Last verified October 26, 2026

Use this as the default font

Your callWindowsMac The font and font size for new workbooks.

Body Font default: New workbooks use the theme's body font, which is Aptos Narrow in the default Office theme, and the font changes if you apply another theme.
A named font: New workbooks use that font, whatever the theme.

The default size is 11. For more control over new workbooks than a font, use a default template: see How to set a default template in Excel.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > When creating new workbooks > Use this as the default font
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > Default font
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Leave Body Font unless you have a house style. A change applies only to new workbooks, after you restart Excel; existing files keep their fonts.

Last verified October 26, 2026

At startup, open all files in

Use it for a templateWindowsMac Opens every file in a folder at startup: the easy way to set a default template.

A folder: Every file in the folder opens when Excel starts. A template there named Book.xltx becomes the starting point for every new workbook, and one named Sheet.xltx for every new sheet.
Blank default: Excel uses only its own startup folder, XLStart, which is hidden deep in your user folder.

Careful with the name: the template must be Book.xltx, not Book1.xltx, which Excel silently ignores. For the full setup, including the names in other languages, see How to set a default template in Excel.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Advanced > General > At startup, open all files in
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > At startup, open all files in
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Create a folder of your own, point this setting at it, and save your default template there as Book.xltx. Every new workbook then starts with your fonts, styles, and page setup. It's much easier than finding XLStart, and it works the same way on Windows and Mac. Keep working files out of the folder: Excel opens every file in it.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Default personal templates location

Keep the defaultWindows The folder whose templates appear under Personal in File > New.

This folder is for templates you choose when you create a workbook. A template Excel applies automatically to every new workbook is a different thing: a file named Book.xltx in a startup folder. See At startup, open all files in and How to set a default template in Excel.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Save > Save workbooks > Default personal templates location
Default: Documents\Custom Office Templates
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep the default, and save your templates there; it's the folder Excel suggests when you save a file as an Excel Template (.xltx). If your templates don't show up under Personal, check that this box points to the folder they're in.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Default view for new sheets

Keep Normal ViewWindowsMac The view new worksheets open in.

Normal View default: New sheets open as a plain grid.
Page Layout View: New sheets open showing printed pages, with margins, headers, and footers.
Page Break Preview: New sheets open showing where pages break. Windows only.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > When creating new workbooks > Default view for new sheets
Mac: Excel > Preferences > View > Preferred view for new sheets
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep Normal View, and switch views from the View tab or the buttons at the bottom right of the window when you're setting up a printout.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Security and privacy

Macro Settings

Keep the defaultWindowsMac Which VBA macros can run, if any.

Disable VBA macros without notification: Macros never run, and Excel doesn't tell you so.
Disable VBA macros with notification Windows default: Macros are off when a file opens, and a yellow bar offers Enable Content.
Disable VBA macros except digitally signed macros: Only macros signed by a publisher you trust can run. Windows only.
Enable VBA macros: Every macro runs, from any file. Not recommended.

The Mac version has three choices with slightly different names: disable all macros without notification, disable all macros with notification, and enable all macros.

Files downloaded from the internet are a separate case on Windows: Microsoft blocks the macros in them whatever this is set to, and shows a red bar instead. To allow one you trust, right-click the file in File Explorer, choose Properties, and check Unblock.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings > Macro Settings
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Security > Macro Security > Macro security
Default: Disable VBA macros with notification (Windows); Disable all macros with notification (Mac)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep the default, and click Enable Content only for files you trust. For a folder of your own macro workbooks, a trusted location (Trust Center > Trusted Locations on Windows) is safer than enabling all macros.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet

Keep onWindows Protected View, which opens downloaded files read-only.

On default: A downloaded file opens read-only, with a yellow bar and an Enable Editing button. Nothing in the file can run until you click it, and after that, macros still follow your macro settings.
Off: Downloaded files open for editing right away.

Two more settings sit under it, for files in potentially unsafe locations and for Outlook attachments. Both are on by default.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Protected View > Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it on. One click on Enable Editing is a small price for opening unknown files safely. For files you open from the same place every day, a trusted location is the better fix: files there skip Protected View.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Security settings for Workbook Links

Keep the defaultWindowsMac Whether links to other workbooks update when a file opens.

Enable automatic update for all Workbook Links: Links update from their source files as soon as the workbook opens. Not recommended.
Prompt user on automatic update for Workbook Links Windows default: The workbook opens with the values saved in it, and a yellow bar says "Automatic update of links has been disabled." Click Enable Content to update them.
Disable automatic update of Workbook Links: Links don't update when the workbook opens. They keep their saved values until you refresh them yourself.

A link to another workbook is a formula like ='[Budget.xlsx]Sheet1'!A1. With the default setting, a file opens showing the values saved with it, which can be out of date without looking it: in a test, a linked cell showed 5 while its source said 6, until Enable Content updated it.

To see a workbook's links, update them, or break them, use Data > Workbook Links (Edit Links in older versions).

Windows also has an older checkbox, Ask to update automatic links, under Advanced > General. On a Mac, it's the only setting: with it on, Excel asks before updating the links in a file you open.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > External Content > Security settings for Workbook Links
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Edit > Ask to update automatic links
Default: Prompt user on automatic update for Workbook Links (Windows); On (Mac)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep the default, and click Enable Content for files whose sources you trust. Until you do, treat the linked numbers as possibly out of date.

Last verified October 27, 2026

Trusted Locations

Use for your own filesWindows Folders whose files open without macro prompts or Protected View.

A file in a trusted location: Opens for editing with its macros enabled, without the yellow bar or Protected View.
Any other file: Follows your macro settings and Protected View.

Excel's own startup and template folders are on the list from the start. Network folders are blocked unless you check "Allow Trusted Locations on my network", which Microsoft doesn't recommend.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Trusted Locations > Add new location
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Add the folders where you keep your own macro workbooks and templates. Don't add Downloads or another folder that collects files from other people.

Last verified October 23, 2026

Trust access to the VBA project object model

Keep offWindowsMac Whether macros and other programs can change the VBA code in workbooks.

On: Code can add, change, and remove VBA modules, which some add-ins and developer tools need.
Off default: Attempts by code to change VBA projects are refused.

When it's off, code that tries anyway gets the error "Programmatic access to Visual Basic Project is not trusted."

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings > Trust access to the VBA project object model
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Security > Developer Macro Settings > Trust access to the VBA project object model
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Keep it off unless a tool you trust needs it, and it will tell you so. It's meant for developers, and it's one more door for malicious code.

Last verified October 23, 2026

User name

Your callWindowsMac The name Excel records as the author of your files and notes.

Your name: New workbooks list it as the Author in their properties, and notes you add are labeled with it.

Threaded comments show the name on your Microsoft account rather than this setting. To remove names and other personal information from a finished file, use the Document Inspector (File > Info > Check for Issues).

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > General > Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office > User name
Mac: Excel > Preferences > General > User name
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Make sure it's a name you're happy for others to see: it travels with every workbook you create. When you're signed in to Office, Excel uses your account's name unless you check "Always use these values regardless of sign in to Office".

Last verified October 23, 2026

Copilot and AI

Enable Copilot

Your callWindowsMac Turns Copilot in Excel on or off for this device.

On default: Copilot features appear in Excel, if your Microsoft 365 plan includes them.
Off: After you restart Excel, Copilot is turned off in Excel on this device.

Where to find it

Windows: File > Options > Copilot > Use Copilot > Enable Copilot (requires restarting the app)
Mac: Excel > Preferences > Copilot > Enable Copilot (requires restarting the app)
Applies to: Excel itself, so every workbook

Recommendation

Turn it off if you don't use Copilot and want it out of the way. The setting applies to one device, so set it on each computer you use.

Last verified October 23, 2026

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90 Excel options for Windows and Mac

Jump to Topic

Calculation

Calculation mode

Enable iterative calculation

Set precision as displayed

Use 1904 date system

Enable multi-threaded calculation

Recalculate workbook before saving

Formulas and errors

R1C1 reference style

Enable background error checking

Formula AutoComplete

Use monospace font for all formulas

Numbers formatted as text or preceded by an apostrophe

Formulas inconsistent with other formulas in the region

Formulas which omit cells in a region

Formulas referring to empty cells

Transition formula evaluation

Data entry and conversion

Automatic data conversion

Convert continuous letters and numbers to a date

Remove leading zeros and convert to a number

Keep first 15 digits of long numbers and display in scientific notation

Convert digits surrounding the letter "E" to a number in scientific notation

Two-digit years

Automatically insert a decimal point

Enable AutoComplete for cell values

Automatically Flash Fill

Enable automatic percent entry

Extend data range formats and formulas

Use system separators

Show Convert to Data Types when typing

Show legacy data import wizards: From Text (Legacy)

AutoCorrect

Internet and network paths with hyperlinks

Replace text as you type

Capitalize first letter of sentences

Editing and selection

After pressing Enter, move selection

Allow editing directly in cells

Scroll Lock

Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop

Custom lists

Alert before overwriting cells

Show Paste Options button when content is pasted

Show Insert Options buttons

Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse

Transition navigation keys

Display

Show a zero in cells that have zero value

Office Theme and dark mode

Show Quick Analysis options on selection

Show gridlines

Focus Cell

Show formulas in cells instead of their calculated results

Show page breaks

Show formula bar

Show row and column headers

Show sheet tabs

Show horizontal and vertical scroll bars

For cells with comments, show

For objects, show

Show function ScreenTips

Show sheet right-to-left

Show outline symbols if an outline is applied

Enable Live Preview

Disable hardware graphics acceleration

Ribbon and add-ins

Developer tab

Excel Add-ins (Analysis ToolPak and Solver)

Microsoft Excel menu key

Tables and PivotTables

Use GetPivotData functions for PivotTable references

Disable automatic grouping of Date/Time columns in PivotTables

Use table names in formulas

Include new rows and columns in table

Fill formulas in tables to create calculated columns

Group dates in the AutoFilter menu

Files, saving and recovery