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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
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.

Was this answer helpful?

800+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
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

Was this answer helpful?

400+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

285 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-12T15:26:12+00:00

    Your solution is so simple and elegant for my usage, it's almost insulting!

    Thank you very much, it really solves my problem with multiple monitors!!!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-11T06:01:53+00:00

    Thankyou RV3. I have struggled with this for a very long time. Although not ideal your solution mmakes working with Excel files much easier. Let's hope the problem is addressed in the next service pack.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-08T15:08:36+00:00

    Not a perfect answer for me. I have two monitors on one PC; the monitors are different sizes (one is 1400x900 pixels, the other 1280x1024). Stretching Excel across two monitors looks a bit clunky in this setup, and requires a bit of fiddling to get each sheet to occupy one screen. Also, the good old Alt+Tab shortcut is not available for switching from one sheet the the other.

    Instead, as mentioned above, Wheel-clicking on the Excel icon in the Windows task bar enables me to have two completely separate instances of Excel. I can put one on my main screen, and the other on my extended screen. Alt+Tab works.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments