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
    2009-11-14T19:13:05+00:00

    Hi,

    Welcome to Microsoft answers.

    Opening multiple windows into a workbook provides an easy way to view or work with different areas of your workbook simultaneously.

    Any changes made in any of the windows are made to the workbook.

    To open multiple windows into a workbook, follow these steps:

    1. Start Microsoft Excel and open any workbook.
    2. In Microsoft Office Excel 2007, click the View tab, and then click New Window in the Window group.

    For more information, logon to:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/254791

    For more information you can contact Microsoft Office, and it would be better suited in the Microsoft Office Discuission Groups.

    Please access the below link and find a community that will offer you a better support.

    http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/FlyoutOverview.mspx

    Let us know if you have any issues.

    Thanks and Regards,

    Azam – Microsoft Support.

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  2. Anonymous
    2009-12-08T13:24:35+00:00

    I'm not sure that the instructions answer the question.  I have had a lot of frustration in W7 over this same issue. 

    It is different than it was in XP or Vista.  If you have one instance of Excel open on the task bar and you just try to open another window by clicking the Office button and then new, it will open a new spreadsheet like it is part of the same workbook (even though it is a separate file).  You can't separate them and see them both simultaneously on two screens or side-by-side on the same screen. Clicking between the pages on the task bar simply places the most recent spreadsheet on top so you have to flip back and forth.

    I have been able to have separate instances of Excel open on separate screens by opening the second instance of the program manually - going to START, ALL PROGRAMS, MICROSOFT OFFICE and then launching Excel from there.

    I think this was an unforeseen consequence of the new W7 task bar interface.  I don't like it.  It makes it harder to work in MS Office.  I would suggest a fix in the next service pack.

    RV3

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  3. Anonymous
    2009-12-09T13:30:01+00:00

    Though I still can't open the files in seperate windows, Excel does allow multiple windows in their program, so I just make it full screen, and open up half screens of the worksheets inside that window.  Atleaset it's a solution for now.  Thanks for all your responses.

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