Where is Excel's startup folder (XLStart)?

Here’s a quick tip on using Excel and the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) to determine the location of Excel’s startup folder. Any workbook in this location is opened automatically every time you launch Excel. This is where Excel stores personal workbooks, like personal.xlsb, that can be launched everytime you use Excel. I think Excel will also store customized workbook templates, Book.xltx, here.

Since the location is rarely accessed it can be difficult to remember where it is located. The quickest way to locate it is to use the Immediate window in the VBE.

1. Press Alt-F11 to launch the VBE.

2. If the Immediate window isn’t visible, press Ctrl-g or use the View menu to open it.

3. In the Immediate window, type ? application.StartupPath and press Enter. VBA will display the path to XLStart.

You can copy and paste the path into File Explorer or a terminal prompt to navigate to the location.