How to Make a Copy of an Excel File: The Ultimate Guide for Windows and macOS

Microsoft's Excel is part of the Microsoft 365 suite and is widely used, becoming an indispensable tool for everyday data management and analysis. Whether you're a student, professional, or business owner, chances are you've come across an Excel file at some point in your life.

There may be times when you need to copy an Excel file:

• You want to keep the original document while making changes to the data. • You need to give a copy to a colleague without changing the original file. • You want to save an Excel workbook in another location, in case something happens to your computer.

Knowing how to copy an Excel file is an essential skill for saving time and effort, regardless of the reason. In this article, we will explore various methods to **copy Excel files** on both Windows and macOS systems, ensuring your data is secure and easily accessible. We'll also demonstrate how to copy individual Excel worksheets.

How to Copy an Excel File on a Windows Computer (3 Ways)

If you're using a Windows computer or laptop, you have three options for saving a copy of your Excel workbook. Here's a quick comparison:

Tip 1: Duplicate an Excel workbook to create a working copy In Excel, if you need to create a copy of an existing file, you can do so quickly by following these steps: 1. Open the Excel workbook you want to duplicate. 2. Select the entire workbook. You can use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl + A` to select all. 3. Right-click on the selected content and choose "Copy" (or use the `Ctrl + C` shortcut). 4. Create a new Excel file or open an existing empty one. 5. In the new workbook, right-click on any cell and select "Paste" (or use the `Ctrl + V` shortcut). 6. Once all content has been pasted correctly, save the new file. Now, you have a complete copy of the original file. Please note that this method will not copy links, formula references, or other elements that interact with the original file unless you choose "Keep Source Formatting" in the paste options.

Tag: The most direct method to copy an Excel file without opening the Excel application

Step 1: On your Windows computer, open the File Explorer and locate the Excel file you want to copy.

Step 2: Right-click the Excel workbook and select “Copy.” You can also select multiple Excel files at once, then right-click and hold on them to copy them. (Alternatively, you can press “Ctrl+C” to copy.)

Step 3: Navigate to the folder or drive where you want to save your Excel copy.

Step 4: Right-click anywhere in the black area and select Paste. (Or use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+V.)

Tip 2: Save a copy of an Excel file by using Save As

Tag: In the Excel application, files can only be copied one at a time.

Step 1: Open the Excel file you want to copy.

Step 2: Click on the upper-left corner on File and then choose Save As.

Step 3: Choose where to save your Excel copy, whether that's a cloud service like OneDrive, an external hard drive, or any location on your computer.

Tip 3: Automate Excel Backup with Todo Backup Tool

Translation: Auto-save Excel files to any location at set times, batch save workbooks all at once

If you want to save time and avoid manually saving copies every time you make changes, then Todo Backup Free would be the ideal choice. It's a free and professional file auto backup software that can automatically back up your Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files and save them to a designated location when you set up a scheduled backup, meeting your requirements.

Follow these steps to set up a one-time method for copying an Excel file:

Step 1: To start the backup, tap “Choose what to back up.”

Step 2. There are four backup types to choose from: File, Disk, System, and Mail. Click on File.

Create File Backup Step 2

Step 3: On the left, you'll see local and network files. Expand the directories to locate your backup file.

File Backup

Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions, and choose where you want to save your backup.

Click "Options" to set up password encryption for your backup in "Backup Options," and then click "Backup Schedule" to specify when the backup should occur, either on a set schedule or upon certain events. You can also select additional options to customize the backup process as needed.

Step 5: The backup can be stored on a local disk, the tool's online service, or a NAS.

Step 6: Todo Backup also allows users to back up their data to third-party cloud storage services, as well as to its own.

If you want to back up your data to a cloud drive provided by a third party, choose “Local Disk,” scroll down, add a “Cloud Device,” and then add and sign in to your account.

You can also choose to back up to cloud storage. Register for an AOMEI account and click "AOMEI Cloud," then log in to your account.

Step 7. Click Backup Now to start the backup process. When complete, the backup job appears as a card on the left pane. Right-click the backup job for more options.

How to Copy an Excel File on a Mac (3 Ways)

Unlike Windows computers, macOS uses a different method to save a copy of an Excel file.

Prompt 1: Copy and paste.

It works the same way as copying and pasting in Windows, except you'll need to find your Excel file in Mac's Finder.

Step 1: Open Finder on your Mac and locate the Excel file you want to copy.

Step 2. Select the file, and press Command+C to copy it.

Step 3: Navigate to the destination folder, right-click, and select Paste Item. Or press Command+V to paste the copied file.

Prompt 2: Replicate

Step 1: Open the Finder and locate your Excel file.

Step 2. Right-click the file and select Repeat from the drop-down menu.

A duplicate file, with the copy suffix, will be created in the same folder. You can then move or rename this copy.

Tip 3: Drag with the Option key

Step 1: Open Finder and locate your Excel file.

Step 2: Hold down the Option key on your keyboard.

Step 3: While holding the Option key, drag the file to where you want it.

4. Release the Option key, and the file will be copied to its new location.

### Extra Tip: How to Copy an Excel Worksheet If you need to create a duplicate of an existing worksheet in Excel, follow these steps: 1. **Select the Worksheet:** Click on the tab of the worksheet you want to copy. It's the tab at the bottom of the screen with a label that matches the worksheet name. 2. **Copy the Worksheet:** Press `Ctrl` + `C` on your keyboard to copy the selected worksheet, or right-click on the worksheet tab and choose "Copy" from the context menu. 3. **Create a New Worksheet:** Right-click on any existing worksheet tab and select "Insert" from the context menu. This will create a new, blank worksheet. 4. **Paste the Copied Worksheet:** With the new worksheet tab selected, press `Ctrl` + `V` to paste the copied content into the new worksheet. Alternatively, right-click on the new worksheet tab and choose "Paste" from the context menu. 5. **Rename the Worksheet (Optional):** By default, the new worksheet will have a similar name as the original with "(2)" appended. To rename it, double-click on the tab and type the new name. Now you have successfully duplicated the Excel worksheet. Remember, copying a worksheet creates an independent copy, so any changes made to one will not affect the other.

While you may want to copy an entire workbook at times, there are instances when you need to copy a specific worksheet, or tab, within the workbook. Copying an Excel sheet is not difficult, and there are two ways to successfully do it.

Tip 1: Drag and Drop (Within the Same Workbook)

Scenario 2: Copy and paste (to a different workbook)

Insert a new, blank worksheet in the target workbook.

Step 2: Go to the worksheet that you want to copy, and press Ctrl+A to select all the data in the sheet, then press Ctrl+C.

Step three: Back in the target worksheet, move the cursor to cell A1.

Step 4: Press Ctrl+V to paste the sheet, including formats and data.

To summarize,

In conclusion, knowing how to copy Excel files is an essential skill that enables you to manage and distribute data efficiently. Depending on whether you need to keep the original file intact during modifications, share duplicates with colleagues, or simply create backups, there are various methods to accomplish this task. On both Windows and macOS computers, you can confidently duplicate Excel files by following the steps outlined in this guide. The copying options ensure the safety and accessibility of your data, enabling you to work more efficiently and collaboratively. For Windows users, the Todo Backup Free is an excellent tool for backing up Excel files, offering automatic copying functionality that you shouldn't overlook.

FAQs on How to Copy an Excel File [4]

How to copy an Excel workbook with multiple tabs? 1. Open the Excel workbook you want to copy. 2. Click on the "File" menu and then select the "Save As" option. 3. In the dialog box that appears, choose a save location, and in the "File name" field, enter a new workbook name. To keep the original workbook intact, you can add a suffix like "Copy" to the original filename. 4. From the "Save as type" dropdown menu, make sure you select "Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)" or the Excel version you need. 5. Click "Save". You now have a new Excel workbook copy that contains all the original worksheets. If you want to copy the workbook without saving it, follow these steps: 1. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, then left-click the workbook icon. This will create a copy while keeping the original file open. 2. Move the newly copied workbook to the desired location. Please note that these steps apply to Microsoft Excel; other similar software may have slightly different procedures.

The process of copying an Excel workbook with multiple sheets is the same as copying an Excel file with only one sheet. You can follow these steps: 1. Open the Excel workbook you want to copy. 2. Click on "File" in the top menu bar. 3. From the dropdown menu, select "Save As." 4. In the "Save As" dialog box, choose the location where you want to save the new copy. 5. In the "File name" field, enter a new filename (if needed) to differentiate it from the original. 6. Make sure the "Save as type" is still set to an Excel format, such as ".xlsx" or ".xls." 7. Click the "Save" button. This will create a copy of the original workbook with all its sheets. 8. If you want to make changes in the new copy, simply open the newly saved file. Now, you have successfully copied an Excel workbook containing multiple sheets.

1. Open Excel > File > Save As. 2. Choose a location to save the copied file. 3. Name it, then click Save.

Now you have a replica Excel workbook with multiple sheets from the original file.

How do I automatically copy data from one worksheet to another in Excel?

In Excel, to automatically copy data from one worksheet to another, you can use a formula in the target worksheet that references the cell you want to copy. The formula would look like this: "=SheetName!A1". Replace "SheetName" with the name of the source worksheet and "A1" with the cell reference you want to copy.

This formula will pull data from the specified cell in the source table and display it in real-time within the target table. You can duplicate this for multiple cells by dragging the formula to the desired range. Using this method, the target table will automatically update whenever changes are made in the source table.

Why can't I copy a worksheet to another workbook?

There can be several reasons why you're unable to copy a worksheet to another workbook, including:

• The copied worksheet contains unsupported features or elements that are incompatible with the target workbook.
• The source workbook or sheet might be password protected, preventing copying.
• The target worksheet could have read-only permissions, blocking any modifications or additions.
• There could be software issues or compatibility problems hindering the copying process.

Check for any restrictions or conflicts, verify compatibility between workbooks, remove password protection if appropriate, and seek technical support as needed to resolve issues.