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01.05.2006 at 06:05AM PST, ID: 21685026

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6.4

Always open excel in separate Excel window

Zone: Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software

Tags: excel, open, separate, window

I have two monitors, so I like to compare speadsheets side by side.

When you open a Word document, it alwasy opens in a new window (adds a window to the task bar). Is there a way to get Excel to do the same thing?

Start your free trial to view this solution

Question Stats

Zone: Software

Question Asked By: brokeMyLegBiking

Solution Provided By: Kelvin81

Participating Experts: 10

Solution Grade: B

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01.05.2006 at 06:09AM PST, ID: 15618004

mike1086:

Each workbook is opened in in own instance of Excel. The worksheets on the other hand are contained within the workbook.

You can try splitting the worksheets into sepearet workbooks, as you can only have one sheet for each book on the screen at the same time.

01.05.2006 at 06:17AM PST, ID: 15618075

Rank: Guru

bruintje:

Hello brokeMyLegBiking,

you could try in excel to set it under tools | options | general TAB | then check the box for "Ignore Other Applications"

hope this helps a bit
bruintje

01.05.2006 at 06:18AM PST, ID: 15618085

brokeMyLegBiking:

no, no I'm not talking about worksheets, I want each workbook to open with it's own icon in the task bar. (like Word)

Currently I have to go to the "window" dropdown and choose "compare side by side". But the problem with this is it only uses one screen instead of two.

Now if I manually open a new, blank instance of Excel and then open the 2nd spreadsheet I get what I want: two separate excel windws, one on each screen so I can compare them side by side. But I don't like having to manually open a new, blank instance of Excel to get what I want... I'm hoping there is a setting I can change to match the behavior of Word.

01.05.2006 at 06:24AM PST, ID: 15618146

Rank: Guru

bruintje:

mike is right, you can't do that

you can make a copy of a workbook so it will display mybook:1 and mybook:2

under window > new window

but still not exactly what you need

01.05.2006 at 06:29AM PST, ID: 15618204

brokeMyLegBiking:

strike 3, no suggestions are working yet.

bummer. It seems like a simple thing. Maybe office 12 will work?

01.05.2006 at 06:43AM PST, ID: 15618377

Rank: Genius

fanpages:

Hi,

Try the following in Windows Explorer ("My Computer").

Click "Tools" / "Folder Options..." menu item.

Click [File Types] tab.

Locate entry in "Registered file types" for "XLS".

Click [Advanced] button.

Ensure check-box labelled "Browse in same window" is clear (unchecked).

Click [OK] to confirm.

Click [OK] to confirm.

BFN,

fp.

01.05.2006 at 07:23AM PST, ID: 15618883

Rank: Genius

jeverist:

Hi brokeMyLegBiking,

Have you tried this?

Tools>Options>View (tab)> Windows in Taskbar (check)

Jim

01.05.2006 at 07:48AM PST, ID: 15619139

brokeMyLegBiking:

jeverist, yes, that gives each workbook its own taskbar icon, with the name of the workbook, but they are still open in the same instance of Excel. So I still can't compare them side by side :(

01.05.2006 at 07:49AM PST, ID: 15619153

brokeMyLegBiking:

fanpages , they still open in the same window.

01.05.2006 at 07:51AM PST, ID: 15619170

Rank: Master

Kelvin81:

broke,

I have had a similar situation at work.

To compare two workbooks side by side. I just go to start, excel and open up a new instance of excel. From that instance your free to open another workbook.

So you'll havey our first and second instances of excel.

01.05.2006 at 07:52AM PST, ID: 15619189

Rank: Master

Kelvin81:

Start -> Programs -> microsoft office -> excel

Wherever you have it (I have mine right on the start menu because I use it often.

Regards,

Kelvin

01.05.2006 at 07:56AM PST, ID: 15619235

brokeMyLegBiking:

kevin81, yes that is how I do it today, I was hoping for an easier soluion, but it looks like there may not be one.

-Joseph

01.05.2006 at 08:06AM PST, ID: 15619352

Rank: Master

Kelvin81:

Sorry Joseph,

Maybe another place to put a pointer would be in the Windows XP TA to this question. They may be able to shed some light on it?

AFAIK There is no easier way of getting it to open a completely new instance.

01.05.2006 at 08:38AM PST, ID: 15619781

mike1086:

What version of Excel are you using? The older version loaded all workbooks into one instance of Excel (you could only get multiple instances by loading Excel ...and then using file open)...the newer versions still use one insatnce of Excel...but windows will make it look like multiple instances.

Try Opening new instances of Excel and loading each workbook into it's own instance.

Also, you might find they are stacked on the windows task bar....i.e. once you get many insatnce...the task bar displays just one...and theres a drop down for you to activate the instance you want.

Hope this sheds some more light

01.05.2006 at 08:56AM PST, ID: 15620001

Rank: Master

Kelvin81:

I'm using Excel 2002 and it still loads them all into one instance...

I think his problem isn't that they aren't on the task bar in separate instances, the problem is that he can't take them outside of that instance. So if he wanted to compare them side by side, he'd have to drag the 1 instance all the way across both monitors, which is a pain in the butt.

He wants to be able to maximize both instances of excel, one on each monitor.

* Correct me if i'm wrong please, thats the impression that i got.

Accepted Solution

01.05.2006 at 08:59AM PST, ID: 15620052

brokeMyLegBiking:

yes Kevin81, you are correct.

01.05.2006 at 01:55PM PST, ID: 15623408

Rank: Genius

fanpages:

A quick workaround is to start the first instance of MS-Excel, load the appropriate workbook, then open a dialog box (like the File/Open, or even Tools/Options).

Now, double-click on any other ".xls" file on your desktop, or in Windows Explorer, and magically a new instance starts :)

Return to the first workbook & close the pending dialog box when required.

01.06.2006 at 04:25AM PST, ID: 15627937

generali:

I could write you some code so that everytime the first instance of excel is opened it asks you if you want to open another instance?

Dont know wether that is what you are wanting?

Cheers
Matt

nic_b

10.29.2007 at 04:19PM PDT, ID: 20173957

The accepted solution is not even a solution...
My computer > tools > file types >
goto .xls
click advanced
select Open
click Edit
add "%1" to the end of the command lke below:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Outlook\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"
check use DDE

isepic

04.23.2008 at 11:18AM PDT, ID: 21423650

nic_b - Thx, however, this solution was broken with a recent update.

sneves44

05.21.2008 at 07:26AM PDT, ID: 21615375

I had this problem and taking fanpages suggestion, I went to windows explorer/tools/File types/Advanced to check the settings. The Browse in same Window was already unchecked so out of idle curiosity I checked it.
Poof! .xls files now open in a new window. (they must have the code backwards)

TheSnowPig

06.02.2008 at 11:00AM PDT, ID: 21694005

=======
nic_b
10.29.2007 at 04:19PM MST, ID: 20173957
The accepted solution is not even a solution...
My computer > tools > file types >
goto .xls
click advanced
select Open
click Edit
add "%1" to the end of the command lke below:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Outlook\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"
check use DDE
=======

I solved this problem by doing exactly what Nicb stated above, only I unchecked use DDE. and it worked for me. (for whatever it is worth.)

20080236-EE-VQP-29