restoring toolbar after re-install

[Mike Row Soft]

I have to repair, and possibly re-install Office. There is a special Excel
file I need to save and re-open to restore my personalized toolbars, but I
forgot what it is. Where is it and what's the name?

 

[Dave Peterson]

It's has an extension of .xlb, but the file name and location can vary.

For me (xl2003 and WinXP Home), it's in:
C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel
And it's named:
excel11.xlb
(excel eleven.xlb)

With excel open, make a minor modification to a toolbar (to find "true" toolbar
file).

Then

Close excel
use windows search to look for *.xlb
and delete all that you find (or move them to a safe location if you're worried)

And remember to look through hidden folders, too. People can have trouble
finding them.

If you can't find your files using windows start button|Search, then you could
use an old DOS command to search and delete/move them

Windows Start button|Run
type:
CMD
(to get to the Command prompt)

C:
(to get to the C: drive--change this to the drive that excel is installed on)

cd\
(to get to the root directory)

dir *.xlb /s

The /s says to search subfolders, too.

Keep the *.xlb file that was just changed and delete the others.

(There could be multiple *.xlb files depending on your excel upgrade path.)