Excel: Seriously, I Really Can't Find This

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Problem: I've looked everywhere, and I can not find certain commands.

Strategy: I will show you some strategies for finding icons, but first, here are the ones that through me for a loop:

  • Help is now the question mark at the top right of Excel.
  • Save Workspace is now on the right side of the View tab.
  • Protect Sheet is now on the Review tab.
  • Move or Copy Sheet is in the Format dropdown on Home.
  • Insert Rows, Insert Columns is in the Insert dropdown on Home.
  • The "œX" to close Excel is missing from Excel 2013. It is at the bottom of the Excel 2010 File tab. In either case, you should add the Exit to the Quick Access Toolbar or use Alt+F+X.

Alternate Strategy: You can find any command in the Customize dialog box. Hover over the command to see a tooltip explaining where to find the command in Excel. Follow these steps to locate a command.

  1. Hover over a command to find the tab and group name.
    1. The top-left corner of Excel contains a tiny strip with icons for Save, Undo, and Redo. Right-click that strip and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
    2. The top left dropdown starts with Popular Commands. Open that dropdown and choose All Commands. You now have an alphabetical list of 2000+ commands.
    3. Scroll through the list. When you find your command, hover. A tooltip appears showing you the ribbon tab, the group, then the command.

    Gotcha: Sometimes, the tooltip will indicates that your command is in the dreaded Commands Not In The Ribbon category. You will have to add these commands to the Quick Access Toolbar or to the Ribbon in 2010.