How to Operate Microsoft Excel: A Comprehensive Guide

Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet applications, enabling users to organize,
analyze, and visualize data efficiently. It is a crucial tool for professionals, students, and businesses alike,
helping to create budgets, perform complex calculations, and generate reports. While its features may
seem overwhelming to new users, mastering the basic and advanced tools within Excel can significantly
improve your data management and analysis capabilities.

This guide provides a step-by-step explanation of how to operate Microsoft Excel. It covers everything
from the basics of Excel, how to create and manage spreadsheets, to using advanced formulas,
functions, and visualization tools.

1. Getting Started with Microsoft Excel

1.1 Launching Microsoft Excel

To begin using Excel:

On Windows: Click the Start menu (Windows icon) at the bottom-left corner of the screen, type "Excel"
into the search bar, and click on the Excel app that appears. Alternatively, you can find Excel in the list of
applications or use a shortcut if you have one.

On Mac: Open the Applications folder in Finder, find and double-click the Excel icon to launch the
program. You can also search for Excel using Spotlight search.

1.2 Excel’s Interface

Once you launch Excel, you’ll be greeted with its user-friendly interface:
Ribbon: The Ribbon is located at the top of the screen and contains various tabs such as Home, Insert,
Formulas, Data, Review, and View. Each tab contains commands relevant to different tasks in Excel.

Worksheet: The main part of Excel is the worksheet, which consists of a grid made up of cells arranged
in rows and columns. Each cell can contain text, numbers, formulas, or other types of data.

Formula Bar: Located above the worksheet, the formula bar allows you to enter or edit data in the
selected cell.

Status Bar: At the bottom of the screen, the status bar shows information about the selected data, such
as the sum of selected numbers or the number of selected cells.

Sheets: Excel workbooks typically contain multiple sheets or tabs, which can be found at the bottom of
the screen. Each sheet is a separate worksheet where data can be stored.

2. Basic Excel Operations

2.1 Creating a New Workbook

To create a new workbook (Excel file):

1. Open Excel.

2. From the File menu, select New.

3. Choose Blank Workbook to start with a new, empty worksheet.

Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + N (Windows) or Command + N (Mac) to create a new workbook.

2.2 Entering Data into Cells

Cells are the basic building blocks of an Excel worksheet. You can enter data into them by:

1. Clicking on a cell to select it.

2. Typing your data (text, numbers, dates, etc.) and pressing Enter to confirm your input.

3. To move to another cell, press the Arrow keys, Tab, or use your mouse to click on the desired cell.

2.3 Editing and Deleting Data

To edit data in a cell:

1. Select the cell you wish to edit.

2. Either click into the formula bar or double-click the cell to start editing.

3. Make your changes, and then press Enter to confirm.

To delete data:

1. Select the cell containing the data.

2. Press Delete on your keyboard to remove the contents of the cell.

2.4 Saving a Workbook

To save your workbook:

1. Go to the File tab.

2. Select Save As if it’s the first time saving the workbook. Choose a location, name the file, and select
Save.

3. For future saves, simply click Save or press Ctrl + S (Windows) or Command + S (Mac).

Excel workbooks are typically saved in the .xlsx format by default, which retains all formulas, formatting,
and other settings.

2.5 Moving and Copying Data

You can move or copy data from one cell to another:

Moving Data: Select the cell or range of cells, hover over the edge of the selected area until the cursor
turns into a four-sided arrow, then drag the selection to a new location.

Copying Data: Select the cells, press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac) to copy. Then, select the
destination cell and press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac) to paste.

2.6 Using Undo and Redo

To undo an action, press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Command + Z (Mac). To redo an action, press Ctrl + Y
(Windows) or Command + Y (Mac).

3. Basic Formatting in Excel

3.1 Formatting Text and Numbers

Formatting in Excel allows you to change the appearance of your data, making it easier to read and
analyze. Common formatting tasks include:

Font Style: Change the font type, size, and color from the Home tab.

Bold, Italic, Underline: Use the Bold, Italic, and Underline buttons to emphasize text.

Number Format: Choose from a variety of number formats (e.g., Currency, Percentage, Date) by
selecting the cell and clicking the appropriate button in the Home tab.

Cell Borders and Shading: Add borders to cells or change their background color using the options in the
Font section of the Home tab.

3.2 Adjusting Row and Column Size

To adjust the width of a column or the height of a row:

1. Hover the cursor over the boundary between two columns (or rows) until it changes to a double
arrow.
2. Click and drag to resize the row or column.

Alternatively, double-click the boundary to auto-fit the row or column to the content inside it.

3.3 Merging Cells

You can merge multiple cells into one large cell. To merge cells:

1. Select the cells you want to merge.

2. Click Merge & Center in the Home tab. This will combine the selected cells into one and center the
text inside.

4. Formulas and Functions in Excel

Excel’s true power lies in its ability to perform calculations using formulas and functions.

4.1 Basic Formulas

A formula in Excel always begins with an equal sign (=). For example:

Addition: =A1 + B1 will add the values in cells A1 and B1.

Subtraction: =A1 - B1 will subtract the value in cell B1 from A1.

Multiplication: =A1 * B1 will multiply the values in A1 and B1.

Division: =A1 / B1 will divide the value in A1 by the value in B1.

4.2 Using Functions

Functions are pre-defined formulas in Excel that simplify complex calculations. Some commonly used
functions include:

SUM: Adds up the values in a range of cells. For example, =SUM(A1:A10) adds the values in cells A1
through A10.

AVERAGE: Calculates the average of a range of cells. For example, =AVERAGE(A1:A10) gives the average
of cells A1 to A10.

IF: A logical function that returns different values depending on whether a condition is true or false. For
example, =IF(A1>10, "Yes", "No") will return "Yes" if the value in A1 is greater than 10, and "No"
otherwise.
VLOOKUP: Searches for a value in the first column of a range and returns a value from another column
in the same row. For example, =VLOOKUP(A1, B1:D10, 3, FALSE) searches for the value in A1 in column
B, and returns the value in the 3rd column of the range.

4.3 Absolute vs. Relative References

When copying formulas, Excel changes the cell references based on the relative position of the new
formula. To prevent this, you can use absolute references by adding dollar signs ($) in the formula:

Relative reference: =A1 + B1

Absolute reference: =$A$1 + $B$1

Absolute references remain constant, even when the formula is copied to another cell.

5. Data Analysis and Visualization in Excel

5.1 Sorting Data

To sort your data:

1. Select the range of cells you want to sort.

2. Go to the Data tab and click Sort.

3. Choose how you want to sort the data (ascending or descending) and select the column to sort by.

5.2 Filtering Data

To filter data in Excel:

1. Select the range of data, including column headers.

2. Click on the Filter button in the Data tab.

3. Use the dropdown arrows in the column headers to filter the data based on specific criteria (e.g.,
numbers greater than a certain value, or specific text entries).

5.3 Creating Charts

Charts in Excel are used to visually represent your data. To create a chart:

1. Select the data you want to chart.

2. Go to the Insert tab and choose a chart type (e.g., bar chart, line chart, pie chart).

3. Customize the chart using the chart tools that appear in the Ribbon.

6. Printing and Sharing Excel Workbooks

6.1 Printing a Workbook

To print your workbook:

1. Go to the File tab.

2. Select Print.

3. Choose your printer and adjust settings (such as pages to print or print orientation), then click Print.
6.2 Sharing a Workbook

To share your workbook with others:

Via Email: Go to File > Share > Email.

Via Cloud Storage: Save the workbook to OneDrive, then click Share in the File tab to send an invitation
or generate a shareable link.