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
    2011-12-01T06:12:31+00:00

    Here's another solution. I use it every day.

    http://bitterminion.com/excel-instance-launcher/

    seriously this is a simple & excellent solution-thanks.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-11-22T21:36:29+00:00

    I hate pinning stuff to my task bar!!  A cluttered task bar is just as bad as a cluttered desktop with shortcuts...blah! Kills the user experience, especially in Windows 7.  Heaven forbid we go through two cascading menus before opening up the program we need.  Anyway, I found a better/easier solution.  Now, back to the Outlook forum to see if I can fix this 2GB Exchange limit issue Microsoft has now.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-11-22T21:32:38+00:00

    OMG, that was way easier than ANYTHING anyone else has posted!!! I replied to a post on page 11, wish I had just read page 10 first.  Oh, I'm using Windows 7 Professional with Office 2010 Professional.  So, it seems to be pretty universal across versions!

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