By default, Excel always creates a new workbook that contains three blank worksheets. These default settings are built into Excel, but they can be overwritten by simply creating a template file named book.xlt and placing it in the XLStart folder, or one of the folders specified below. If this template file exists, whenever you create a new workbook it is used as the default settings for the workbook. Whatever settings are in the template file will be placed in the new workbook you create. Excel looks for template files in the following locations:
C:\Windows\Profiles\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates
The XLStart folder, typically located in C:\Windows\Profiles\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart
The location you specified at the Tools -> Options -> General tab.
If you have some standard workbooks to open each time you run Excel, you can do so by saving your workspace in the XLStart folder. To do so, open the desired workbooks and select File ->Save Workspace to save them in the XLStart folder. Anything that Excel finds in this location will open each time you run Excel.
And, although this is not directly related to your question but it does involve how Excel is started, you might also be interested in looking at Microsoft article Q211481 titled, "Startup Switches for Microsoft Excel 2000"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q211481
(REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URL)
Maxwell
