How to Restore Quick Access Toolbar Customizations in Excel
Question details
The user needs to recover their customized Quick Access Toolbar settings that were reset following a Microsoft Office update.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- After installing an Office update, the user's custom shortcuts on the Quick Access Toolbar are missing and have reverted to default.
- Observed behavior
- The Quick Access Toolbar customizations are completely reset, requiring the user to restore the Excel.officeUI file from a backup or previous Windows folder version.
Ensure Microsoft Excel is completely closed and not running in the background. It is also highly recommended to create a copy of your current Office configuration folder before renaming or modifying any system files.
Restore Quick Access Toolbar from an Automatically Generated Backup
Excel often creates automatic backup files of your UI configuration. You can rename these backup files to restore your previous Quick Access Toolbar settings.
When Excel undergoes an update or encounters a configuration change, it sometimes renames the old UI configuration file rather than deleting it. Searching for these leftover files is the fastest way to recover your settings.
Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office and press Enter.
In the folder that opens, look for files named Excel.officeUI.1 or Excel.officeUI.bak.
Find the active configuration file named Excel.officeUI. Right-click it and rename it to Excel.officeUI.old to keep it as a safe fallback.
Right-click your backup file (Excel.officeUI.1 or Excel.officeUI.bak) and rename it to exactly Excel.officeUI.
Reopen Microsoft Excel and check the top-left corner of the window to verify that your Quick Access Toolbar customizations have been restored.
Restore the Configuration File using Windows Previous Versions
If no local backup files are available, you can use the Windows shadow copies feature to restore the configuration file to a state prior to the update.
Try WPS Office: A Stable and Customizable Alternative
Tired of software updates resetting your customized toolbars and preferences? WPS Office is a free, lightweight, and highly stable Office alternative that respects your settings. It provides a familiar user interface, seamless customization, and full compatibility with Microsoft Excel formats.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get the free installer from the official WPS website and complete the quick installation process.
- 2. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch the Spreadsheet application and click the drop-down arrow next to the Quick Access Toolbar at the top left.
- 3. Customize Your Toolbar: Select 'More Commands' to add your preferred shortcuts permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Quick Access Toolbar disappear after an Office update?
Major Microsoft Office updates or repairs sometimes overwrite or reset the user interface configuration file (Excel.officeUI). This automatically reverts the Quick Access Toolbar and Ribbon back to their default factory settings.
Can I manually back up my Quick Access Toolbar to prevent this in the future?
Yes. You can manually export your customizations by going to File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar in Excel, clicking the 'Import/Export' button at the bottom right, and selecting 'Export all customizations'. Keep this file safe to quickly import it if it ever resets again.
What should I do if the Previous Versions tab is completely empty?
If the Previous Versions tab is empty, it means Windows File History or System Protection (Shadow Copies) was not enabled for your system drive. In this case, if you also have no .bak files, the customizations cannot be recovered, and you will need to manually set up the toolbar again.
