Create a New Excel File on Your Desktop with This Shortcut

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool widely used for data analysis, calculation, and organization. While opening Excel and creating a new sheet might seem like a simple task, using keyboard shortcuts can significantly streamline your workflow, especially for frequent users. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through how to create a new Excel sheet on both Windows and Mac platforms using keyboard shortcuts, as well as explore some additional tips and tricks to enhance your Excel experience.

Create a New Excel File on Your Desktop on Windows

Step 1: Create a Shortcut:

1. Right-click on your desktop.
2. Select “New” from the context menu.
3. Choose “Shortcut.”
4. In the “Type the location of the item” field, input the command to open Excel. This typically looks like C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\EXCEL.EXE, where XX represents the version number of your Microsoft Office. For example, if you’re using Microsoft Office 2019, the path would be C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office19\EXCEL.EXE.
5. Click “Next.”
6. Name your shortcut something like “New Excel Sheet” or any other name that’s easy to remember and identifies the purpose of the shortcut.
7. Click “Finish.”

Now that you’ve created a shortcut, you can place it anywhere on your computer for easy access. You might want to keep it on your desktop, pin it to your taskbar, or even add it to your Start menu for quick launching.

Step 2: Assign a Shortcut Key:

1. Right-click on the newly created shortcut icon.
2. Select “Properties” from the context menu.
3. In the “Shortcut” tab, find the “Shortcut key” field.
4. Click on that field and press the key combination you want to assign as the shortcut. For example, you might choose Ctrl + Alt + N. When selecting a shortcut key combination, make sure it’s not already assigned to another function in Windows or any other application you frequently use to avoid conflicts.
5. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to close the Properties window.

Now, whenever you press the specified shortcut key combination (Ctrl + Alt + N in this example), Excel will open a new sheet. This can be a huge time-saver, especially if you find yourself frequently creating new Excel files.

Additional Tips for Windows Users:

• If you have multiple versions of Excel installed on your computer, make sure to use the correct path in Step 1.4 for the version you want to use.
• You can create multiple shortcuts with different shortcut key combinations for different Excel templates. For example, you might have one shortcut for a blank workbook and another for a specific template you use often.
• If you want to open a new sheet in an existing Excel instance (if Excel is already running), you can modify the shortcut target in Step 1.4 to include the /e switch at the end of the path, like this: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office19\EXCEL.EXE" /e.

Create a New Excel File on Your Desktop on Mac

Step 1: Create an Automator Service:

1. Open Automator from your Applications folder. Automator is a built-in tool in macOS that allows you to create workflows and automate tasks.
2. Choose “Service” as the type of document to create. A service in Automator is a small, specific task that can be triggered from any application.
3. At the top of the workflow area, set the options to “Service receives no input in any application.” This ensures that your service will work regardless of which application is currently active.
4. In the Library pane on the left, find and drag the “Run AppleScript” action into the workflow area. AppleScript is a scripting language used to automate tasks on macOS.
5. Delete any default AppleScript code and replace it with the following:

tell application "Microsoft Excel" activate make new workbook end tell

This script tells Excel to create a new workbook whenever the service is triggered.

1. Save the service with a name like “New Excel Sheet” or any other name that clearly identifies its purpose.

Step 2: Assign a Keyboard Shortcut:

1. Open System Preferences from the Apple menu.
2. Go to “Keyboard” and then the “Shortcuts” tab.
3. Select “Services” from the left-hand menu. This will display a list of all services available on your Mac, including the one you just created in Automator.
4. Scroll down to find your “New Excel Sheet” service under “General.”
5. Click on “Add Shortcut” and enter the key combination you want to use. For example, you might choose Cmd + Option + N. As with Windows, make sure the shortcut key combination you choose isn’t already assigned to another function in macOS or any other application you use frequently.

Now, whenever you press the specified shortcut key combination (Cmd + Option + N in this example), Excel will open a new sheet. This can greatly speed up your workflow if you regularly work with Excel.

Additional Tips for Mac Users:

• If you have multiple versions of Excel installed on your Mac, the Automator service will open a new workbook in the default version. If you want to specify a particular version, you can modify the AppleScript in Step 1.5 to include the full path to the Excel application you want to use.
• You can create multiple Automator services with different shortcut key combinations for different Excel templates, just like in Windows.
• If you want to open a new sheet in an existing Excel instance (if Excel is already running), you can modify the AppleScript in Step 1.5 to include the activate command before make new workbook, like this:

tell application "Microsoft Excel" activate make new workbook end tell

This will ensure that a new workbook is created in the currently running instance of Excel, rather than opening a new instance.

By following these steps, Windows and Mac users can create keyboard shortcuts to quickly open a new Excel sheet, enhancing productivity and efficiency in Excel-related tasks. Whether you’re crunching numbers, organizing data, or creating complex spreadsheets, mastering keyboard shortcuts can significantly improve your workflow in Excel.

In addition to creating shortcuts for new sheets, there are many other keyboard shortcuts built into Excel that can help you navigate and edit your spreadsheets more efficiently. Here are a few key shortcuts to know:

• Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac) to copy selected cells
• Ctrl + V (Windows) or Cmd + V (Mac) to paste copied cells
• Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac) to undo the last action
• Ctrl + S (Windows) or Cmd + S (Mac) to save the current workbook
• Ctrl + F (Windows) or Cmd + F (Mac) to open the Find dialog box
• Ctrl + Home (Windows) or Fn + Ctrl + Left Arrow (Mac) to go to the beginning of a worksheet
• Ctrl + End (Windows) or Fn + Ctrl + Right Arrow (Mac) to go to the last cell with data on a worksheet

Learning these and other keyboard shortcuts can greatly improve your speed and efficiency when working in Excel.

Using Excel Templates:

Excel templates are pre-formatted spreadsheets designed for specific purposes, such as budgeting, invoicing, or project management. Using templates can save you significant time and effort, as you don’t have to start from scratch or worry about setting up the right formatting and formulas.

To use an Excel template:

1. Open Excel and click “File” > “New.”
2. In the “New” dialog box, you can browse templates by category or search for a specific template.
3. Click on a template to preview it, then click “Create” to open a new workbook based on that template.
4. Customize the template with your own data and save it as a new file.

Microsoft offers a wide variety of free templates, and you can also find many more templates online from third-party sources. Using templates can be a great way to jumpstart your Excel projects and ensure consistency across your spreadsheets.

Final Thoughts

Creating keyboard shortcuts to open new Excel sheets is a simple but powerful way to streamline your workflow. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up shortcuts on both Windows and Mac computers, and start benefiting from faster Excel file creation today. Remember, the real power of Excel lies in how you use it, and mastering keyboard shortcuts is a key component of becoming an Excel expert. So start implementing these shortcuts today, and watch your productivity soar!

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.