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Courses/Office Productivity/MS Excel

Taming Large Excel Spreadsheets

Master expert techniques to navigate, optimize, and control complex workbooks, transforming unwieldy data into manageable assets for greater productivity.

Created byDavid Ringstrom
4.9
(19 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Feb 2, 2026
Taming Large Excel Spreadsheets

What You'll Learn

check_circleMaster shortcuts to navigate large workbooks.
check_circleFreeze panes and split windows to lock data.
check_circleGroup worksheets to edit multiple tabs at once.
check_circleUse Custom Views to manage hidden worksheets.
check_circleReduce file size using the Excel binary format.
check_circleMonitor key data with the Watch Window tool.

About This Course

Are your Excel workbooks becoming "too big to fail"? As spreadsheets expand sideways with endless columns and additional worksheets, they often become unwieldy, causing users to spend more time scrolling than actually working. In the course Taming Large Excel Spreadsheets, presented by Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, you will learn essential techniques to reclaim control over your data and navigate complex files with efficiency and purpose.

This comprehensive guide moves beyond basic scrolling to explore sophisticated features designed for heavy-duty Excel users. You will discover how to create a "command center" using hyperlinks, utilize the modern Navigation Pane for a bird's-eye view of your data, and master the art of viewing multiple worksheets simultaneously using the New Window feature. David also reveals hidden gems, such as the legacy Full Screen view and the Watch Window, to help you monitor critical data points without losing your place.

Throughout this course, you will master the following key topics and skills:

  • Navigating Large Workbooks: Learn to use keyboard shortcuts, the Activate window, and the Navigation Pane to jump between specific sheets, ranges, and objects instantly.
  • Adjusting the View: Discover how to view two tabs at once on a single monitor, utilize specific Zoom to Selection commands, and fix skewed scroll bars that have drifted away from your actual data.
  • Locking and Splitting: Master the Freeze Panes command (including creating a one-click shortcut), handle conflicts with the Split command, and utilize Grouping to create collapsible outlines for rows and columns.
  • Managing Multiple Worksheets: Learn the "superpower" of grouping worksheets to perform global edits, and use Custom Views to hide and unhide specific sets of worksheets in a single click.
  • Specialized Tools: Reduce file bloat by up to 75% using the Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb) format and use the Watch Window to audit formulas across different sheets.

Whether you are dealing with a massive annual financial report or a complex data log, this course provides the toolkit you need to work smarter, not harder. Join us to transform your oversized workbooks into manageable, efficient tools.

Your Instructor

David Ringstrom
David Ringstrom

CPA, Author, Professional Excel Spreadsheet Trainer and Consultant

menu_book44 courses
star1,099 reviews

David H. Ringstrom, CPA, is the author of Microsoft 365 Excel for Dummies, and a nationally recognized instructor who has taught over 2,500 live webinars. His Excel courses are based on over 30 years of consulting and teaching experience. David’s catchphrase is “Either you work Excel, or it works you,” so he focuses on what he sees users don’t, but should know about Microsoft Excel. His goal is to empower you to use Excel more effectively. David has authored or co-authored 10 books, including Exploring Microsoft Excel's Hidden Treasures, QuickBooks Online for Dummies, and Idiot's Guide to Introductory Accounting.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

4.9
Student's Choice
19 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.