How to change Excel default file?

Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit, SP1, Office 2010.

I want the default Excel file to be slightly different from the default ‒ different font and size centered vertically and different row and column sizes, nothing major. I created a new template with the name “Book.xltx” and saved it in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\XLSTART. Now when I open Excel this new template opens and I do my happy dance. Unfortunately, this causes a couple of unwanted changes.

First, if I want to open an existing file by clicking the “File” tab, I don’t get the “Recent” page showing my recent files, I get the “Info” page showing the information for file “Book1.” That is not what I wanted to happen.

Second, if I make no changes to “Book1” but instead open a recent file, make changes, save and close the recent file by using the “Close” button in the upper right corner; Excel doesn’t close. Only the window with the recent file closes leaving the window with “Book1” still open. I have to click the close button a second time to exit. This also isn’t what I wanted to happen.

I successfully modified the default Word file, although the method was not the same (?) and neither of these issues occurred with Word.

Is there any way I can get Excel to behave the way it use to but have my preferences in the default “Book?”

Thank you.

Hi midou,

Your suggestion sounded reasonable so I gave it a try and it did get rid of all my settings -- no biggie, I still have a good image to fall back on.

I forgot to mention that if I just remove Book.xlts from C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\XLSTART Excel works just fine except that I don't have my preferred starting point.

I really don't want to give up now. I'm getting close. It took a few hours and many tries to get this far. Getting Word to start with my preferred file was almost as frustrating but everything works as expected there.

Thanks