Multiple Excel on Task bar

[Craig]

I know I have done this before but for the life of me I cannot remember how
to accomplish it.

I usually go into excel and open several files at the same time by hold my
ctrl key and clicking on all the files. Well in Excel 2000 each file would
have it own box in the taskbar. I ust started using Excel 2003 and it only
gives me one excel box in the task bar. So then I have to minimize the file
I am using ato get to a different file.

Where is the setting to have a Excel box in the tqask bar for each file I
open.

I thought it had something to do with taskbar properties. I change the
setting and just gives me one excel box.


Thanks for the help.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Inside xl, do you have Tools|options|View Tab|windows in taskbar checked?

 

[Craig]

Yes. I have that checked. I have discovered that if I open up excel and
the open the files within Excel, then all get grouped into one icon on the
taskbar. However, if I go through windows explorer and open all the files
at the same time, each files has its own icon.

 

[Dave Peterson]

If they're grouped together, maybe it's a windows taskbar setting that needs to
be toggled.

Right click on the Windows start button|choose properties
On the Taskbar tab, make sure "group similar taskbar buttons" is unchecked.

This works in Windows XP, but I'm not sure what version of Windows you're
running.

ps. It sounds like when you double click on that file in windows explorer,
you're starting a new instance of excel. Sometimes this isn't good (copying
formulas from one instance to another instance, for example).

If you want to change the behavior so that double clicking will open in the same
instance of excel:

Sometimes one of these works:

Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)

--- or ---

Close Excel and
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

The /unregserver & /regserver stuff resets the windows registry to excel's
factory defaults.