I want to open 2 excel files in separate windows to view them side by side... but each time I try, it opens them in the same window

Anonymous
2009-11-14T01:05:58+00:00

I want to open 2 excel files in separate windows to view them side by side... but each time I try, it opens them in the same window.  is there a way around this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2011-03-15T22:03:50+00:00

I use Windows 7 and this is what works for me (just figured it out):

1.  Open your first Excel file and place it on the screen you want

2.  Open a new Excel file from the Excel icon

3.  The new file will open on top of the one you have already opened.  Drag it to the other screen

4.  Drag the icon for the second Excel file INTO the new (blank) Excel document

Voila!  Two separate screens.

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Anonymous
2010-04-30T19:36:49+00:00

ok, just because i don't have the petiance to wait for you to answer to my first question about which excel version you'r using i'll just give my solution for all the people who have w7 and office 2007:

the solution involves making little changes in the registry so i recommend making back up for just in case:

strart - run - regedit:

Left column

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.8/shell/Open/commend:

Right column {adding (space)"%1"}

Double Click on (Default) and write - "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"

Right Click on Command – choose "rename" and add something to the name 

  • for example 2 (commend2).

Left column

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.8/shell/Open/ddeexec:

Right Click on the folder ddeexec and choose "rename" and add something to the name 

  • for example 2 (ddeexec2)

Left column

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.12/shell/Open/commend:

Right column {adding (space)"%1"}

Double Click on (Default) and write -****"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"

Right Click on Command – choose "rename" and add something to the name 

  • for example 2 (commend2).

no restart needed

Have Fun

hope i helped

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-09-15T20:58:22+00:00

    All you have to do is:

    1.  open your first excel file

    2.  Minimize it

    3.  Open Excel using the, start button, Programs, Microsoft Office, Excel (this gets the second/third/fourth/etc excel window started)

    4.  Open your particular file using the, file, open, select doc option.

    Now you can maximixze the other excel documents, and have multiple windows open, in their own Excel world.

    Hope it helps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-09-14T14:14:19+00:00

    Other applications have the preference to "allow multiple instances" or "allow only one instance".  Why can't Microsoft get with the 21st century and give us the option without hacking the registry?  I only use Microsoft Excel because I am forced to at work, without this hack, I was completely miserable using multiple Excel documents.  Using a computer should make my life easier, not more cumbersome.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-09-06T11:56:58+00:00

    In Excel 2007, Click the Office button -> Excel Options -> Advanced.

    Under General, check ‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange’.

    This worked best for me.

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