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How To Use Excel Tools and Features

Microsoft Excel contains a number of tools and features that, while they may not be used all that often, can really simplify working with spreadsheets. Covered in this section are features such freeze panes, protecting worksheets, as well as Add-Ins and templates that can help to make using Excel as straightforward and as painless as possible.
Excel Templates
A template in Excel is a file containing common data and formatting options that is used as a model for other spreadsheets. This article covers templates in Excel: how to make your own as well as free templates that you can download.
Protect Data in Excel 2007 Pt. 1
One of Excel's security features is the Protect Data option. What it does is allow you to lock up all or parts of a spreadsheet to prevent accidental or intentional changes by users. Part 1 covers locking/unlocking specific cells in your spreadsheet.
Protect Data in Excel 2007 Pt. 2
One of Excel's security features is the Protect Data option. What it does is allow you to lock up all or parts of a spreadsheet to prevent accidental or intentional changes by users.Step two involves applying the Protect Sheet option. Until step 2 is completed, all data is vulnerable to change.
Using the Clipboard Viewer in Excel 2007
This article shows you how to use the clipboard in Excel to simplify re-entering frequently used data.
Using Excel's Goal Seek Feature
Excel's Goal Seek feature allows you to alter data in formulas to get different results. Goal Seek can be useful in business when planning new projects. Cost projections for different scenarios can be quickly created and the results compared.
Excel 2007 Freeze Panes
Excel's freeze panes feature keeps headings across the top and down the left side of the sheet from disappearing when you scroll. This tutorial shows you how to "freeze" those sections of the screen containing titles so that they remain visible at all times.
How To Use the Excel Freeze Pane Feature
When working with large spreadsheets, the headings at the top of the page and down the side of the sheet disappear when you scroll too far to the right. To avoid this problem, use Excel's freeze panes feature. This tutorial shows you how to "freeze" those sections of the screen containing titles so that they remain visible at all times.
Excel 2007 Flowchart Template
This article walks through how to download and use the free flowchart template available from Microsoft. The article covers how to use the flowchart template in Excel 2007.
How to Use the Excel 2003 Flowchart Template
Create colorful and informative flowcharts in Excel using this free template from Microsoft. The template works in all versions from Excel 97 on. Read the article to find out how easy it is to download and use this flowchart template.
Free Excel 2007 Biweekly Time Sheet Template
This article shows you how to quickly download and use a free employee time sheet template in Excel 2007.
Excel Timeline Template
Among the templates offered for free by Microsoft is one for creating a timeline in Excel. This template works in all versions from Excel 97 on. This article walks through how to download and use the timeline template in Excel.
Customizing Excel Auto Fill
Auto Fill is a very handy feature in Excel. It allows you to quickly add commonly used data to your spreadsheets. This article will show you how easily you can customize the lists of data that can be added.
How to Change the Sheet Tab Color of Excel Spreadsheets
In Microsoft Excel 2003 it is possible to color code the tabs of individual worksheets. Color coding the tabs of worksheets that contain related data often makes it easier to find specific information in large spreadsheet files. This article shows you how easy it is to quickly change worksheet tab colors.
Goal seeking AV Tutorial
Goal Seeking is a useful Excel command for asking "what if" type questions by varying the data in a formula to achieve different results. This site has a very clear and straightforward Audio Visual tutorial that takes you through a step by step example of using Goal Seeking.
Excel Tools, Tutorials, and Templates Page
Looking for Excel templates? add-ins? tutorials? or other tools? Then this site is a good place to start. It contains hundreds of links on a range of Excel-related topics. The topics are organized by subjects with Genetics, Earth Science, and Statistics being just a few of the ones listed. You must register (free) with the site before accessing the links.
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