Want to revert changes you have made to Microsoft Excel? Here this article on MiniTool Software aims to show you how to reset Excel to default settings in Windows 10 with the most effective ways.

Microsoft Excel is the most commonly used spreadsheet editor, allowing you to customize it to better suit your individual needs. However, over time, you may want to undo these customized settings, and the easiest way is to restore Excel to its default settings.

But how to reset Excel to default settings? You can complete this task by using the Windows registry, Windows PowerShell, and reinstalling Office suites. See details below.

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How to Reset Excel to Default Settings Windows 10

Method 1. Reset Excel to Default Settings Registry

First, we will guide you through how to reset Excel by editing the Windows registry.

Tips:
The registry contains information, settings, and other values for programs and hardware installed on the Windows OS and plays a vital role in the normal operation of the computer. Therefore, before making any changes to the registry, you are suggested to back up the entire registry or back up individual registry keys.

Step 1. Press the Windows + R key combination to wake up the run window. Then type regedit in the text box and press Enter.

Step 2. When you see the User Account Control window, select the Yes option to continue.

Step 3. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following location depending on the Office version:

  • Excel 2016/2019: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel
  • Excel 2013: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Excel
  • Excel 2010: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel
Tips:
To check the Excel version, you can open an Excel spreadsheet and click File > Account. In the right panel, you can get the Excel version under Product Information.

Step 4. In the left panel, right-click the Options key and click Delete from the context menu.

delete the Options key

Step 5. In the Confirm Key Delete window, select the Yes option to complete this task.

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Method 2. Reset Excel to Default Settings PowerShell

PowerShell is a scripting language for automated system management that can perform many functions. Likewise, you can also use it to reset Excel to default settings. Here are the major steps.

Step 1. Open Windows PowerShell by using the Windows search box.

Step 2. In the command line window, type the following commands based on your Office version and press Enter:

  • Excel 2016/2019: Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel -Recurse
  • Excel 2013: Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Excel -Recurse
  • Excel 2010: Remove-Item -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel -Recurse
type the corresponding command line

Step 3. Exit PowerShell and open an Excel file to check whether the Office application is restored to its default state.

Method 3. Reinstall Office

The last way to restore Excel to its default settings is to reinstall Office.

Tips:
Reinstalling Office will not delete any documents or workbooks you created using Excel or Word.

These posts show you how to reinstall different Office versions on your Windows PC in detail:

Further Reading:

Sometimes, Office files may be lost due to accidental deletion, system crash, or virus attack. If you need to recover deleted Excel files, Word documents, PPTs, OneNote files, etc., you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery. It is professional file recovery software that is good at recovering Office files, pictures, videos, audio files, and more.

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Bottom Line

This tutorial describes how to reset Excel to default settings with detailed steps. You can choose the preferred method to complete this task.

If you have any concerns about MiniTool Power Data Recovery, please do not hesitate to send an email to [email protected]. We are ready for help.

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About The Author

Shirley
Shirley

Position: Columnist

Shirley graduated from English major and is currently an editor of MiniTool Team. She likes browsing and writing IT-related articles, and is committed to becoming a professional IT problem solver. The topic of her articles are generally about data recovery, data backup, and computer disk management, as well as other IT issues. In spare time, she likes watching movies, hiking and fishing.