Question
Answer and Explanation
It's important to clarify that while VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is used to automate tasks in Excel, the question asks about making a copy of the active workbook without using macros. This is a bit of a paradox because VBA is the macro language. However, I understand the intent is to avoid writing explicit VBA code to perform the copy operation. Here's how you can achieve this using Excel's built-in features, which can be triggered by a user action rather than a macro:
Method 1: Using the "Save As" Functionality
The most straightforward way to create a copy of the active workbook without writing VBA code is to use the "Save As" functionality. Here's how:
1. Open the Workbook: Open the Excel workbook you want to copy.
2. Go to "File" Menu: Click on the "File" tab in the Excel ribbon.
3. Select "Save As": Choose the "Save As" option from the menu.
4. Choose a Location and Name: In the "Save As" dialog box, select the location where you want to save the copy and give it a new name. This will create a duplicate of the original workbook.
5. Click "Save": Click the "Save" button to create the copy.
This method does not involve any VBA code and is a manual process that a user can perform directly through the Excel interface.
Method 2: Using the "Copy" and "Paste" Functionality (Less Common)
While less common, you can also use the "Copy" and "Paste" functionality to create a copy of the workbook. This method is not as direct as "Save As" and might not be suitable for all scenarios, but it's another way to avoid VBA:
1. Open the Workbook: Open the Excel workbook you want to copy.
2. Select the Workbook: In the Excel window, click on the Excel icon in the top-left corner (or the application icon in the taskbar) to select the entire workbook window.
3. Copy the Workbook: Press `Ctrl + C` (or `Cmd + C` on macOS) to copy the workbook window.
4. Paste the Workbook: Press `Ctrl + V` (or `Cmd + V` on macOS) to paste the workbook window. This will open a new Excel window with a copy of the original workbook.
5. Save the New Workbook: Use the "Save As" functionality to save the new workbook with a different name.
This method is more of a workaround and might not be as efficient as the "Save As" method, but it still avoids using VBA code.
Important Note:
The question specifically asks about avoiding macros. Both methods described above achieve this by using Excel's built-in features that are triggered by user actions, not by running VBA code. If you need to automate the process of creating a copy, then VBA would be necessary, but that is outside the scope of the original question.