Show File Open Window in Excel 2013

Show the File Open Window

In Excel 2013, if you click the File tab, you go to the Backstage view. The Open command is selected, and you can select a file and open it.

Here is the Backstage view, with Open and Recent Workbooks selected

Backstage view with Open and Recent Workbooks selected
Backstage view with Open and Recent Workbooks selected

Add to Quick Access Toolbar

You can also add an Open icon to your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).

add Open icon to Quick Access Toolbar
add Open icon to Quick Access Toolbar

Use Quick Access Icon

If you point to that icon, after adding it to the QAT, the screen tip says “Open”.

Point to Quick Access Icon
Point to Quick Access Icon

Click that icon, and it also takes you to the Backstage view, just like the File tab does.

See More Files

If you want to see files that aren’t listed in the Recent list, you can click Computer, then click the Browse button, to open the window.

That’s quite a few clicks, just to see a list of your files!

See More Files
See More Files

Missing File Open Window

In older versions of Excel, if you click on the Open icon, it opens the browsing window, where you can pick a file, and open it.

Missing File Open Window
Missing File Open Window

Change Setting in Excel 2010

I don’t know why that changed in Excel 2013, but if you still have Excel 2010 installed, you can change a setting, to avoid the Backstage view. Thanks, Chewing all, for pointing out this setting, in the comments below.

  • Click the File tab, and then click Options.
  • Click the Save category, and click “Don’t show the Backstage when opening or saving files”
  • Click OK to save the settings
Change Setting in Excel 2010
Change Setting in Excel 2010

A Clunky Workaround

Before Chewing all pointing out this setting, I was using this clunky workaround, to get the functionality back.

  • In Excel 2013, if you have an Open icon on the QAT, remove it.
  • Then, close and re-open Excel 2013.
  • Add an Open icon to the QAT
clunky workaround
clunky workaround
    • Keep Excel 2013 open, and open Excel 2010
    • In Excel 2010, add the standard Open button on the QAT
add standard Open button on QAT
add standard Open button on QAT

Icon on QAT

If you point to that icon in Excel 2010, the screen tip will say “Open (Ctrl + O)”

screen tip says Open (Ctrl + O)
screen tip says Open (Ctrl + O)
  • Close Excel 2010, and the button on the Excel 2013 QAT has changed to the Open (Ctrl + O) button

fileopen2013_07

  • If you click the Open icon in Excel 2013 now, it opens the Open window, instead of going to Backstage view.

fileopen2013_08
This is probably a bug, from having multiple versions of Office installed, and the QAT gets confused.

The QAT icons seem to disappear occasionally, which is annoying, so it might help to set up both versions exactly the same.
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14 thoughts on “Show File Open Window in Excel 2013”

  1. Better way is to go to file -> options -> save / in the save workbooks sections tick “Don’t show the backstage when opening or saving files”
    Next time you open or save a file you’ll immediately get classic “save as” or “open” window.
    And that’s all there’s to it. So, no need for the workaround.

    1. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! You should have a t-shirt with a superman (or wonder woman?) logo on the front because you are my new superhero, Chewing all!
      Why on earth does Microsoft think we would want to click on the open button and have the exact same effect as clicking on the file tab? And how is it efficient to use the backstage view to find files with FOUR CLICKS of the mouse as opposed to only ONE?

    2. THANK YOU, Chewing all! I should have looked up this tip sooner. I’ve tried to get used to that Backstage screen, but it just stinks. What inefficiency. You made my Monday!

  2. OMG! what a help. I hate most of the new “user friendly” features of 2013. They must think the rest of use seasoned users are stupid and only new users will find it ok. good grief.. THANKS FOR THE FIX!

  3. I’d like to know what site Microsoft developers go to in order to vent their frustrations. As any four year old could figure out and as mentioned several times above, why on earth would MS have a task that previously took one click and now takes four, five or even six clicks to accomplish the same task? Speaking as a developer myself I can only imagine the scene:
    Scene 1 (a board room somewhere in the lofty heights of the MS empire)
    A dark hooded figure sits at the head of the long ominous table (exec. VP for Marketing, has never used Excel, but thinks it might be either a video game or an energy drink)
    Clueless Marketing VP: “BRING IN THE DEVELOPERS!!”
    (Slowly, as if approaching the gallows, two pale, thin figures make their way into the room shaking and sweating profusely)
    Developer 1: “Yes my Lord, tell us what you require and we will gladly do it, even if it requires removing our gentitals with a broken DVD”
    Clueless Marketing VP: “SILENCE!!! I have been informed that we need to increase the number of clicks for our product”
    Developer 2: “But my Lord, most users don’t want more clicks, they want less clicks”
    Clueless Marketing VP: “WHAT!!! You dare question my expertise in this field!!!
    (at this point the Clueless Marketing VP pulls a nearby leaver sending Developer 2 plummeting to the bottom of a pit filled with alligators, snakes and HR Administrators)
    Developer 1: “Wonderful decision my Lord, he clearly deserved his punishment. But if I may be so bold, why do we need more clicks?”
    Clueless Marketing VP: “Imbecile! If a click is a mile then our energy drink will enable our users to run much further!”
    Developer 1: “Ummm, but my Lord …. we don’t make an energy drink”
    (at this point the Clueless Marketing VP reaches for a nearby leaver)
    Developer 1: “Actually, my Lord, what I meant to say was that we can DEFINITELY add more clicks to our product. Such an incredible idea … All hail Lord Marketing VP”
    (and so the scene ends … the Clueless Marketing VP is carried from the room on the shoulders of his minion side kicks all the while stuffing money into his pockets while listening contently to crunching sounds of Developer 2 being eaten by the HR Administrators).

  4. Thank you so much! I spent a lot of time searching for how to change the default “Open” view. Checking the “Don’t show the Backstage when opening or saving file” selection did the trick!

  5. Hmmm…I tried this, but I’m still getting the cumbersome multi-step process to open files. What did I do wrong?

  6. OMG! I spent two days searching for this solution. Like the others that have already posted…Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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