Knowledge Base

OFF: Shortcut "Start In" Doesn't Change Default File Location

Article ID: 135395

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

Microsoft Office 97 Standard Edition
Microsoft Office 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft PowerPoint 97 Standard Edition
Microsoft PowerPoint 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition
Microsoft Word 95 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q135395

SYMPTOMS

When you create a shortcut to an Office application, such as Microsoft Excel, if you enter a path in the Start In box (on the Shortcut tab) in the Properties dialog box, the path is ignored when you start the application.

CAUSE

When you create a shortcut for a program in Windows 95, you can specify a working folder using the Start In box on the Shortcut tab in the shortcut Properties dialog box. This method works when you create a shortcut for the Windows programs WordPad and Notepad, for example. The Office programs, however, do not use the path in the Start In box for the shortcut. Instead, each of the Office programs uses a File Locations value that is set using the Options dialog box in that program.

When you install an Office program, the default file location is the My Documents folder. This remains the default file location until you change this setting using the Options dialog box in the program.

WORKAROUND

To set the default file location in one of the Office programs, do the following:

In Microsoft Excel

On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the General tab.
In the Default File Location box, enter the new default folder, such as C:\Worksheets. Click OK.

Note also that you can use a startup switch to change the working folder. For more information about command line switches, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

134742 Office: Using Startup Switches for Programs on Shortcut Bar

In Word

On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the File Locations tab.
In the list of file types and locations, click Documents, then click the Modify button.
In the Modify Location dialog box, select the folder for the new default location, then click OK.
Close the Options dialog box.

In PowerPoint

On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Advanced tab.
In the Default File Location box, enter the new default folder, such as C:\Slides. Click OK.

Additional query words: word7 word97 word8 8.00 powerpt

Keywords: kbenv kbprb kbualink97 KB135395