Turn off Excel start up task pane (Excel XP)
By default, the Startup Task pane opens when you start Excel. It provides quick access to many actions you might want to perform in a spreadsheet. If you'd rather open the Task Pane when you need it, you can stop the Startup Task pane from opening automatically.
To do this choose Tools | Options from the menu bar. Click on the View tab and deselect the Startup Task Pane check box in the Show panel. Then click OK. The next time you start Excel, the Startup Task pane won't appear. To view the task pane at any time, choose View | Task Pane.
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