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 No 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 No 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 No comments

285 additional answers

Sort by: Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2011-07-26T01:55:01+00:00

    This didn't work for me. I've also tried going into excel and changing settings to ignore other DDE files, but doing this causes a warning upon opening the file that states that it cannot open the file because the file extension is wrong...but, the weird thing is that the file still opens.

    Is there any other ways to open two separate windows for excel?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2011-07-26T13:17:49+00:00

    The best thing that's worked for me is to use the "Send To" menu to open new instances of Excel for my dual-monitor Excel use.  With this technique, you right-click on an excel spreadsheet file, hover on "Sent To" in the context menu, and select "Excel" and it opens in a new window. Works with Excel 2007/2010 in W7.

    To make Excel be an option in the "Send To" context menu, it's explained in this blog:

    http://fielddata.blogspot.com/2011/07/opening-excel-20072010-in-new-windows.html

    The only thing that doesn't work for me is when I'm opening Excel attachments from emails since the "Send To" option isn't available from my email program.

    Colin

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2011-07-28T04:48:30+00:00

    Hi It is working onl for windows 7 & office 2007, but it is not working for win7 & office 2010

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments