How to reset default settings in Excel ?

👤 Diwas Poudel 🕒 25 Feb 2023 📁 TECH

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet tool with a lot of functionality. In most cases, you won't need to change Excel's default settings, but you can customize them using the Excel Options feature, which gives you access to all settings.

Excel's default settings are the default configuration that comes with the program when you first install it.Default Workbook, default font style and size, default cell alignment, default file format, row height and column width, default print settings, and so on are some of the preset settings.Here we will look how to reset these settings to default.

Changes made using Excel Options will be applied to all the excel files. And if you ever want to go back to the original settings, there is no single button in Excel that would allow you to revert back all. Furthermore, changing all parameters one by one is not possible. So, In this article, Ourtechroom will show you how to reset all of the settings in Excel.

Excel's default options won't erase your data. Excel's font, alignment, number formats, and other settings will only be affected by resetting the preset settings. It will not delete your data, including worksheets, workbooks, add-ins or macros and others.

Note that: Before applying changes please close currently opening Excel files.

Note that: Before applying changes please close currently opening Excel files.

Method 1: Reset Excel using the Registry editor

Registry Editor is a graphical program that stores all of the configurations related to the operating system, software, and settings.

Changes to the registry file may be corrupted at any time. Use your software, even your operating system, with caution. Only do as instructed in the instruction.

The steps are as follows:

1 Press Ctrl + R to open Run.

2 Type regedit and press Enter

3 On the popup, click on the 'Yes' button. This will open registry as shown below.

registry open — fig. **Type regedit in Run and Press Ok Button**

4 On the right pane, expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

5 Expand Software

6 Expand Microsoft

7 Expand Office

At the top search bar, verify that you are inside the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office

Navigate to Office Path in URL in Regedit

8 Here, you may get a different version of office like 14.0, 15.0,16.0, and soon.

If you are using Excel 2007, Then Expand 12.0
If you are using Excel 2010, Then Expand 14.0
If you are using Excel 2013, Then Expand 15.0
If you are using Excel 2016 or later then Expand 16.0

Here, I am going to reset Excel 2019, So I will Expand 16.0 as shown below.

9 Then right-click on Excel Folder and click on Delete it.

delete-your-required-office-version — fig. Right Click on Desire Office Version and then click on Delete

10 Close the Registry Editor

11 Open Excel and you will find Excel reset to default settings.

Method 2: Reset Excel using Powershell

Powershell is a powerful tool, and we'll utilize Cmdlets to remove that folder from the Registry. We'll delete the Excel folder with the help of Remove-Item. The steps are as follows

1 Press Win + R to open Run Command
2 Type Powershell and press Enter. This will open the blue screen program which is a PowerShell program.
3 Type below command and replace with your installed office version

Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\\Excel -Recurse

If you are using Excel 2007 then type:

Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel -Recurse

If you are using Excel 2010 then type:

Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel -Recurse

If you are using Excel 2013 then type:

Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Excel -Recurse

If you are using Excel 2016 or later then type:

Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel -Recurse

Here, I am using Excel 2019 so I will use the last command as shown below:

What this Command is doing?
This command is removing all items recursively present inside the path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\\Excel" of Registry File.

Method 3: Completely uninstall Office with SetupProd_OffScrub Tool and Reinstall

Removing Excel or Office packages from the control panel may not solve the problem of resetting Excel to default because the preferences are stored on your computer. However, by using the SetupProd OffScrub tools, you are completely uninstalling Office, and when you reinstall Office, Excel will have default settings.

This software automatically uninstalling everything related to the selected version of the Office Package. It works for Microsoft 365, Office 2019, Office 2016, Office 2013, Office 2010, or Office 2007.

You can download from this link: Download Link

You then again reinstall the office package again.

FAQ:

How to reset Reset Excel Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar?

Sometimes you only like to reset Excel Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar to default then follow the below steps:

1 Click on File
2 Click on Options or sometimes More > Options
3 Click on Custom Ribbon at the right pane.
4 Then at left, click on all checkbox and then under Customization Dropdown set to "Reset all customizations"

5 If you want to Customize Quick Access Toolbar, click on "Quick Access Toolbar" on left.
6 Then at left, select the option at the top and then under Customization Dropdown set to "Reset all customizations".