Excel Workbooks: Create, Save, Open, and Recover

An Excel workbook is the complete spreadsheet file you open and save. It can contain one worksheet or many, along with charts, formulas, tables, connections, and other workbook-level features. If the file is named Quarterly-Budget.xlsx, that file is the workbook; the tabs inside it are worksheets.

This distinction becomes useful as soon as you start managing real work. Adding a sheet changes the contents of a workbook. Choosing Save As, renaming the file, or closing it affects the workbook itself.

Menu paths below use current desktop Excel for Windows. Excel for Mac and Excel for the web support the same core workbook tasks, but some command names and locations differ.

Workbook and worksheet are not the same thing

One workbook can hold related sheets such as raw data, calculations, and a dashboard. Separate workbooks are better when files need different owners, permissions, retention rules, or sharing destinations.

Create a workbook with the right starting point

A blank workbook is suitable when you need a fresh grid. A template is better when the new file should begin with established headings, formulas, formatting, or print settings.

Go to File > New, then select Blank workbook or choose a template to create a new Excel workbook.

1. Open Excel and select File > New.
2. Select Blank workbook, or choose a suitable template.
3. Enter enough information to identify the purpose of the file.
4. Save the workbook early with a clear name and location.

In desktop Excel, Ctrl+N creates a blank workbook on Windows. On Mac, use Command+N. Microsoft’s Excel basics guide covers both blank workbooks and templates.

A new workbook is not necessarily a saved file. Until you choose a name and location—or Excel saves it to a connected cloud location—it can be difficult to identify or recover later.

Save the workbook before the work becomes valuable

The first save establishes three things: the workbook’s name, storage location, and file format. Choose all three deliberately.

Use Save As to choose the workbook name, storage location, and Excel file format before saving.

1. Select File > Save As. Depending on the file and storage location, Microsoft 365 may show Save a Copy instead.
2. Choose a local folder, OneDrive, or an available SharePoint location.
3. Enter a descriptive file name such as 2026-Q3-Sales-Forecast.
4. Keep Excel Workbook (.xlsx) unless the file needs macros or another specific format.
5. Select Save, then confirm the new name in the title bar.

After the first save, use Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac to save changes to the same file. Microsoft’s workbook-saving instructions explain local and cloud locations in more detail.

Save, Save As, and Save a Copy

When AutoSave is on, edits may already be reaching the original cloud file. If you want to experiment without changing that original, use Save a Copy before making the experimental changes.

Choose a file format that preserves what you need

The extension at the end of the filename tells Excel how the workbook is stored. For most new workbooks, .xlsx is the right choice. Change the format only for a clear reason.

Use the Save as type menu to choose the file format that matches the workbook’s features and intended use.

If a workbook contains macros, saving it as .xlsx removes the macro code from the new file. When exporting to CSV or another text format, keep the original Excel workbook as the editable master. Microsoft lists the supported formats and their limitations in its Excel file-format reference.

Open an existing workbook and confirm the file

Use File > Open to choose a recent file, browse local folders, or open a workbook from a connected cloud location. You can also press Ctrl+O on Windows or Command+O on Mac.

Use File > Open to access recent workbooks, OneDrive files, local folders, or browse for another workbook.

Before editing, verify the workbook name and location. Similar names such as Budget-Final.xlsx, Budget-Final-2.xlsx, and Budget-Final-Revised.xlsx make it easy to change the wrong copy. If the file arrived by email or download, decide where the working copy belongs before making substantial changes.

Excel may open older files in Compatibility Mode, and files from untrusted locations may open with editing restricted. Read the message bar before enabling editing or changing the file format; do not dismiss security warnings simply to reach the worksheet faster.

Know what AutoSave and AutoRecover actually do

These features solve different problems:

• AutoSave continuously saves eligible Microsoft 365 files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. It also supports real-time collaboration.
• AutoRecover periodically stores recovery information so Excel may restore work after a crash or unexpected shutdown.
• Manual Save writes your changes when you choose Save or press the save shortcut.

AutoRecover is a safety net, not a replacement for a deliberate save routine. Its recovery copy may not include the very latest changes, and recovery depends on the feature being enabled and a usable recovery file existing.

AutoSave is normally available for eligible files in current Microsoft 365 desktop apps when the workbook is stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. It can be unavailable for local files, older formats, paused synchronization, unsupported workbook features, or account and administrative settings. Microsoft explains those conditions in What is AutoSave?

Recover a workbook after Excel closes unexpectedly

After a crash, reopen Excel and review the Document Recovery pane if it appears. When several versions are listed, compare their timestamps and open the most recent plausible version before saving it with a clear name.

In Excel for Windows, an unsaved workbook may also be available through this path:

File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks

Go to File > Info > Manage Workbook > Recover Unsaved Workbooks to look for recently unsaved Excel files.

1. Open the recovery location from Excel.
2. Select the likely workbook and open it.
3. Inspect the sheets and recent edits.
4. Select Save As immediately and store the recovered workbook in a known location.

Recovery behavior differs on Mac and can vary with the Excel release and file location. Use Microsoft’s file-recovery guidance when the Document Recovery pane does not contain the version you need.

Do not keep editing an unsaved recovered file before saving it. Recovery locations are temporary and are not a dependable place to store the working copy.

Close one workbook without closing everything

Use File > Close to close the active workbook. On Windows, Ctrl+W closes the active workbook window; on Mac, use Command+W. If AutoSave is off and the workbook contains unsaved changes, Excel normally asks whether you want to save them.

Use File > Close to close the active workbook without quitting Excel.

Closing a workbook and quitting Excel are different actions. You can close one workbook while leaving the application and other workbooks open. Quitting Excel closes every open workbook, prompting about unsaved changes when required.

When a workbook has more than one window open through View > New Window, closing one window does not necessarily close the workbook. Microsoft’s workbook-window guide explains this distinction.

Use file names that make the correct workbook obvious

A useful name identifies the subject and, when relevant, the period or status. Names such as North-Region-Sales-2026-Q3.xlsx are easier to manage than Book1.xlsx or a chain of files ending in final-final-2.

• Keep one authoritative working copy in a known folder or cloud location.
• Add a date or reporting period when the workbook represents a fixed cycle.
• Use Save a Copy for a deliberate snapshot rather than creating accidental duplicates.
• Keep the normal .xlsx version when exporting data to CSV or producing another delivery format.
• Confirm that important files are included in an appropriate backup or version-history system.

Excel workbook questions

Treat the workbook as the durable file

Create the workbook from a suitable starting point, save it before the work becomes difficult to replace, and keep the format aligned with its features. Before closing, confirm the filename, location, and save status. Those small habits prevent most workbook-management problems long before recovery tools are needed.