This wikiHow teaches you how to set up and use Microsoft Excel on a Windows or Mac computer.
Step
Part 1 of 5: Preparing to Use Excel
Step 1. Install Microsoft Office if it is not already available on your computer
Microsoft Excel is not offered as a separate program, but is included in a Microsoft Office plan or subscription.
Step 2. Open an existing Excel document
If you want to open an existing Excel document, simply double-click the document. After that, the document will be opened in an Excel window.
Skip this step if you want to open a new document in Excel
Step 3. Open Excel
Click or double-click the Excel application icon, which resembles a white “X” on a dark green background.
Step 4. Select a template if necessary
If you want to use an Excel template (eg a budget planning template), scroll down until you find the template you want to use and click once to open the template window.
If you only want to open a blank Excel document, click the “ Blank ” at the top left side of the page and skip the next step.
Step 5. Click Create
It's to the right of the template name.
Step 6. Wait for the Excel book/worksheet to open
This process takes a few seconds. After viewing an Excel template or a blank page, you can enter data into a spreadsheet.
Part 2 of 5: Entering Data
Step 1. Get to know the various ribbon tabs in Excel
On the green “ribbon” at the top of the Excel window, you can see a series of tabs. Each tab can be used to access various Excel tools. The main tabs to know about include:
- ” Home” - Contains options for text formatting, column background color, etc.
- “Insert” - Loads options for tables, charts, graphs and equations.
- “Page Layout” - Loads margin, orientation, and page theme options.
- ” Formulas” - Contains various formula options, as well as a function menu.
Step 2. Use the top row as the title row
When adding data to a blank worksheet, you can use the top box in each column (eg. A1 ”, “ B1 ”, “ C1 ”, etc.) as column headings. This step is useful when you create a chart or table that requires labels.
Step 3. Select the box
Click the box to which you want to add data.
For example, if you are using a budget planning template, click the first empty box to select it
Step 4. Enter the text
Type whatever you want to add into the box.
Step 5. Press Enter key
After that, the data will be added to the box and the selection will be moved to the next empty box.
Step 6. Edit the data
To go back and edit the data later, click the box that you want to edit, then change anything needed in the text field at the top of the top row of boxes.
Step 7. Adjust the text format if necessary
If you want to change the format of the text in the box (e.g. you want to change the money format to date format), click the tab “ Home ”, click the drop-down box at the top of the “Number” segment, and click the type of format you want to use.
You can also use conditional formatting to have the box change based on certain factors on the worksheet (eg if the box value is below a certain limit, the box will be automatically displayed in red)
Part 3 of 5: Using Formulas
Step 1. Select the box where you want to add the formula
Click the box that you want to use in the formula.
Step 2. Perform basic arithmetic operations
You can add, subtract, divide, and multiply squares using the following formulas:
-
Sum - Type =SUM(box+square) (eg.
=SUM(A3+B3)
) to add up the values of two squares, or type {{kbd|=SUM(box, square, square) (eg.
=SUM(A2, B2, C2)
- ) to sum the values of multiple boxes at once.
-
Subtraction - Type =SUM(box) (eg.
=SUM(A3-B3)
- ) to subtract the value of one box by the value of another box.
-
Division - Type =SUM(box/box) (eg.
=SUM(A6/C5)
- ) to divide the value of one square by the value of another box.
-
Multiplication - Type =SUM(square*square) (eg.
=SUM(A2*A7)
- ) to multiply the values of two squares.
Step 3. Add the numbers to the entire column
If you want to add up all the numbers in a whole column (or a segment of a column), type =SUM(box:square) (e.g.,
=SUM(A1:A12)
) in the box that you want to use to display the results.
Step 4. Select the box where you want to add the advanced formula
To use more complex formulas, you need to use the “Insert Function” tool. Click the box where you want to add the formula first.
Step 5. Click Formulas
This tab is at the top of the Excel window.
Step 6. Click Insert Function
This option is at the far left of the toolbar " Formulas " After that, a new window will open.
Step 7. Select a function
Click the desired function in the window that opens, then click the “ OK ”.
For example, to select the formula for finding the tangent of an angle, scroll down and click the option “ TAN ”.
Step 8. Fill in the formula form
When prompted, type the number (or select the box) that you want to use in the formula.
- For example, if you select the function “ TAN ”, type in the number or measure of the angle with the tangent you want to find.
- You may need to click on several commands on the screen, depending on the selected function.
Step 9. Press Enter key
The function will be applied and displayed in the selected box afterwards.
Part 4 of 5: Creating Charts
Step 1. Prepare chart data
If you want to create a line or bar graph, for example, you need to use one column for the horizontal axis and one column for the vertical axis.
In general, the left column is used as the horizontal axis and the column immediately to the right represents the vertical axis
Step 2. Select data
Click and drag the cursor from the data box in the upper left corner to the last data box in the lower right corner of the worksheet.
Step 3. Click Insert
This tab is at the top of the Excel window.
Step 4. Click Recommended Charts
This option is in the “Charts” section of the toolbar “ Insert A window with various chart templates will appear.
Step 5. Choose a chart template
Click the template you want to use.
Step 6. Click OK
It's at the bottom of the window. After that, the chart will be created.
Step 7. Edit the chart title
Double-click the title box at the top of the chart, then delete and replace the current title with the one you want.
Step 8. Change the chart axis title
If you want to add axis titles to the chart, you can do so via the "Chart Elements" menu which can be accessed by clicking the “ ＋ ” green to the right of the selected chart.
Part 5 of 5: Saving an Excel Project
Step 1. Click File
It's in the upper-left corner of the Excel window (Windows) or computer screen (Mac). The menu will open after that.
Step 2. Click Save As
This option is on the left side of the page if you're using the Windows version of Excel.
On Mac computers, click this option via the drop-down menu “ File ”.
Step 3. Double-click This PC
It's in the middle of the page.
On a Mac computer, click “ On my Mac ”.
Step 4. Enter the project name
Type the desired spreadsheet name into the " File name " (Windows) or " Name " (Mac) field in the “Save As” window.
Step 5. Select the storage folder
Click the folder that you want to set as the location to save the worksheet.
On Mac computers, you may need to click the " Where " drop-down box first before you can select a file
Step 6. Click Save
It's at the bottom of the window. The spreadsheet will be saved in the selected folder with the specified name.
Step 7. Save the next update using the keyboard shortcut " Save"
If you're editing an Excel document later, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac) to save changes without having to display the “Save As” window.
