Excel 2010 - Opening multiple files 1

[Kenja824]

To my understanding Microsoft purposely designed Excel to open multiple files in a single instance. However, this keeps me from comparing them side to side the way I like it. I prefer to open excel files in their own seperate instances. I found in my searching to try to check "Ignore DDE something something...." but when I tried that, it no longer opened files from a windows folder.

All I want to do is open my windows folder where I have several excel files saved to. Click on a file and open it. Click on another file and open it in its own excel file and its own instance.

Is this even possible anymore?

 

[cowski]

I don't know about opening separate instances, but perhaps this will help you compare excel workbooks:
[ol 1]
[li]open both files[/li]
[li]on the view tab, choose "arrange all" and pick the arrangement you like[/li]
[li]choose "view side by side" (still on the view tab), this will give you access to "synchronous scrolling" which may make comparing the files easier[/li]
[/ol]

 

[IRstuff]

Excel 2007 still allowed you to open up two instances of Excel, and you can simply drag&drop into each instance.

TTFN
faq731-376

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[IDS]

Excel 2013 operates the way you would like by default (in this particular instance).

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[Kenja824]

So it turns out I got the IT person to help try and figure out why hers was opening the way I wanted and mine wasnt. After a while of looking, she realized I had somehow slipped through the cracks and was not updated to 2013 like everyone else. lol As mentioned above, 2013 opens up in seperate instances. Problem solved. lol

 

[GerryBertier]

Instead of just clicking on the 2nd file, open another instance of Excel from the start menu. Then open the new file, in the 2nd instance. If you click on a file, with Excel already open, it will open within the 1st instance.

If there is a way to change this by default, in 2010, I want to know!

 

[TomBarsh]

There is an option "Show all windows in the Taskbar". This has essentially the same result as launching multiple instances of the application. When the option is active, each Excel file opens a new "window" and each will have its own button in the Taskbar. When the option is not active, all files open in same window, which tidies up the Taskbar (imagine the Taskbar with 8 Excel files open).

I actually discussed this with Microsoft phone support, probably 20 years ago. If I remember correctly, perhaps Excel 4 could run multiple instances but not so Excel 5 (and later). Anyway, that was all in the olden days. But the ""Show all windows in the Taskbar" would be the design intent of the programmers. So if you have multiple files in the same window, use the command under the View controls to control the view of the windows (tile, etc). There are even controls provided to "lock" the views of multiple windows so they scroll together. Or you can open each file in its own window.

Make this selection under the Excel Options/Advanced/Display (click the round "Office" button).

One thing you cannot do without being able to run separate instances of Excel is to open the same file in two windows and view the results when you make changes in one copy but not the other (this is something that I do dozens of times a day with another commercial software, and could not do my work without being able to do so).