Getting Started with Microsoft Excel 2010 : Starting Excel & Choosing Commands

Starting Excel

The two quickest ways to start Excel are to select it on the Start menu or double-click a shortcut icon on the desktop. By providing different ways to start a program, Office lets you work the way you like and start programs with a click of a button. When you start Excel, a program window opens, displaying a blank workbook, where you can begin working immediately.

Start Excel from the Start Menu

Click the Start button on the taskbar.

Point to All Programs.

Click Microsoft Office.

Click Microsoft Excel 2010.

If Microsoft Office asks you to activate the program, follow the instructions to complete the process.

Timesaver

To change the product key later, click the File tab, click Help, click the Change Product Key link, enter the product key, and then click Continue.

Did You Know?

You can create a program shortcut from the Start menu to the desktop. Click the Start menu, point to All Programs, click Microsoft Office, right-click Microsoft Excel 2010, point to Send To, and then click Desktop (Create Shortcut).

You can start Excel and open a workbook from Windows Explorer. Double-clicking any Excel workbook icon in Windows Explorer opens that file and Excel.

For Power Users: Need More Excel 2010 Computing Power

If you’re a power user or analyst that needs to create bigger, more complex Excel workbooks, you should use the 64-bit version of Microsoft Excel 2010 (New!). The 64-bit version of Excel 2010 is built specifically for 64-bit computers. For example, in the 64-bit version of Excel, you can break through the physical memory (RAM) limitation of 2 GB that exists with the 32-bit version, and crunch numbers with ease. If you’re using the 32-bit version, Excel 2010 significantly boosts performance levels (New!) over previous versions for importing, filtering, sorting, copying, and pasting large amounts of data, as well as opening and saving large files.

Viewing the Excel Window

Using the Ribbon

The Ribbon is a results oriented way of working in Excel 2010. It replaces menus, toolbars, and most of the task panes found in Excel 2003. The Ribbon is located at the top of the document window and is comprised of tabs that are organized by task or objects. The controls on each tab are organized into groups, or subtasks. The controls, or command buttons, in each group execute a command, or display a menu of commands or a drop-down gallery. Controls in each group provide a visual way to quickly make document changes. The Office button in Office 2007 has been replaced by the File tab (New!), which displays Backstage view, where you can access file-related commands.

If you prefer using the keyboard instead of the mouse to access commands on the Ribbon, Microsoft Office provides easy to use shortcuts. Simply press and release the or key to display KeyTips over each feature in the current view, and then continue to press the letter shown in the KeyTip until you press the one that you want to use. To cancel an action and hide the KeyTips, press and release the or key again. If you prefer using the keyboard shortcuts found in previous versions of Microsoft Office, such as Ctrl+P (for Print), all the keyboard shortcuts and keyboard accelerators work exactly the same in Microsoft Excel 2010. Excel 2010 includes a legacy mode that you can turn on to use familiar Office Excel 2003 keyboard accelerators.

Tabs

Excel provides three types of tabs on the Ribbon. The first type is called a standard tab—such as Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View, and Add-Ins—that you see whenever you start Excel. The second type is called a contextual tab—such as Picture Tools, Drawing, or Table—that appears only when they are needed based on the type of task you are doing. Excel recognizes what you’re doing and provides the right set of tabs and tools to use when you need them. The third type is called a program tab—such as Print Preview—that replaces the standard set of tabs when you switch to certain views or modes.

Live Preview

When you point to a gallery option, such as WordArt, on the Ribbon, Excel displays a live preview of the option change so that you can see exactly what your change will look like before committing to it.

Choosing Commands

Excel commands are organized in groups on the Ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar, and Mini-Toolbar. Commands are available as buttons or options on the Ribbon, or as menus on button or option arrows or the File tab (New!). The Quick Access Toolbar and Mini-Toolbar display frequently used buttons that you may be already familiar with from Excel 2003, while the File tab on the Ribbon displays file related menu commands in Backstage view. In addition to the File tab, you can also open a shortcut menu with a group of related commands by right-clicking an element.

Choose a Menu Command Using the File Tab

Click the File tab on the Ribbon.

Click the command you want.

Timesaver

You can use a shortcut key to choose a command. Press and hold down the first key and then press the second key. For example, press and hold the Ctrl key and then press S (or Ctrl+S) to select the Save command.

Choose a Menu Command from a Shortcut Menu

Right-click an object (a cell or graphic element).

Timesaver

Press Shift+F10 to display the shortcut menu for a selected command.

Click a command on the shortcut menu. If the command is followed by an arrow, point to the command to see a list of related options, and then click the option you want.