Opening Excel file in new window

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mark Ivey
  • Start date Start date
M

Mark Ivey

If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
You can create a new "Action" for the XLS file type in "Forlder options".
Use something like this for the "Application used to perform action:"

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"

A right-click on any xls file should then offer your new option...
 
Hi Mark

I am running XL2003. To show a file on my second monitor, all I do is click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen.

Only 1 instance of Excel is loaded but I can quite happily view 2 different files at the same time.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
Hi Mark,

Roger's advice works for me too, however before it will work for me, I
need to ensure you have 2 "instances" of Excel running.

Open your first workbook as normal. Then go back to your Start menu,
and select Excel again - once this is running THEN open your 2nd
workbook, i.e. you shouldn't open the first workbook and then use
File/Open to open the second work book.

Once I do this, then Roger's advice:

"click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst
holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to
the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen."

is perfect.

Good luck!
 
Hi Stew
i.e. you shouldn't open the first workbook and then use
File/Open to open the second work book.
Click to expand...

I definitely do not open Excel a second time.
Just click on File>Open and open your second file and drag to the second
screen.
 
Roger,

Do you have to adjust Excel to stretch across both monitors and then size one open workbook to fit on the left side and another to fit on the right side? This is what I believe you are saying. I would actually like the convenience of having a new instance of Excel opened. This gives some detachment between what I have open (from my left monitor to my right), and allows for easy closing without the worry of loosing what I am doing on one or the other side. PapaDos has the advice I was looking for, but I was afraid it would alter how I opened EVERY Excel file (which I found not to be the case). It allows for the user to right click an Excel file and select New if they want a new instance of MS Excel loaded when the file is opened.
Hi Mark

I am running XL2003. To show a file on my second monitor, all I do is click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen.

Only 1 instance of Excel is loaded but I can quite happily view 2 different files at the same time.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
PapaDos,

Thank you for this advice. I had seen this on the web earlier, but I was
under the impression it would alter how I opened EVERY Excel file. I found
that not to be the case. It only allows for the user to have the choice with
a right click mouse function.

Thanks again for the advice...
 
Hi Mark

I have just realised that I have been talking absolute rubbish (not unusual<g>)

I drag the VBE window across to the second monitor, not 2 different Excel files, so I can view code on one screen and what is happening on the other screen. Opening another workbook does open on the same monitor as the first workbook, and if I drag that file to the second monitor then switch to the second workbook, that has moved as well.

I'm sorry to have caused the confusion.

I looked at Luc's response about changing the setting, but I couldn't manage to get it to work.
What did you do?

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Roger,

Do you have to adjust Excel to stretch across both monitors and then size one open workbook to fit on the left side and another to fit on the right side? This is what I believe you are saying. I would actually like the convenience of having a new instance of Excel opened. This gives some detachment between what I have open (from my left monitor to my right), and allows for easy closing without the worry of loosing what I am doing on one or the other side. PapaDos has the advice I was looking for, but I was afraid it would alter how I opened EVERY Excel file (which I found not to be the case). It allows for the user to right click an Excel file and select New if they want a new instance of MS Excel loaded when the file is opened.
Hi Mark

I am running XL2003. To show a file on my second monitor, all I do is click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen.

Only 1 instance of Excel is loaded but I can quite happily view 2 different files at the same time.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
Here is a weblink with instructions explaining what PapaDos was talking about:

http://www.graceba.net/~wmivey/New Instance of MS Excel.xls

If this link doesn't work, try the one below:

http://www.graceba.net/~wmivey/ then select the file labeled "New Instance of MS Excel.xls"
Hi Mark

I have just realised that I have been talking absolute rubbish (not unusual<g>)

I drag the VBE window across to the second monitor, not 2 different Excel files, so I can view code on one screen and what is happening on the other screen. Opening another workbook does open on the same monitor as the first workbook, and if I drag that file to the second monitor then switch to the second workbook, that has moved as well.

I'm sorry to have caused the confusion.

I looked at Luc's response about changing the setting, but I couldn't manage to get it to work.
What did you do?

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Roger,

Do you have to adjust Excel to stretch across both monitors and then size one open workbook to fit on the left side and another to fit on the right side? This is what I believe you are saying. I would actually like the convenience of having a new instance of Excel opened. This gives some detachment between what I have open (from my left monitor to my right), and allows for easy closing without the worry of loosing what I am doing on one or the other side. PapaDos has the advice I was looking for, but I was afraid it would alter how I opened EVERY Excel file (which I found not to be the case). It allows for the user to right click an Excel file and select New if they want a new instance of MS Excel loaded when the file is opened.
Hi Mark

I am running XL2003. To show a file on my second monitor, all I do is click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen.

Only 1 instance of Excel is loaded but I can quite happily view 2 different files at the same time.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
Thanks for that Mark (and Luc for first drawing attention).
That works and does allow second Workbook to go to second screen, but I keep getting the message that Personal.xls is locked for editing, Open Read only, Notify Cancel. Does anybody know any registry change that can by-pass this and just open Read Only?

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Here is a weblink with instructions explaining what PapaDos was talking about:

http://www.graceba.net/~wmivey/New Instance of MS Excel.xls

If this link doesn't work, try the one below:

http://www.graceba.net/~wmivey/ then select the file labeled "New Instance of MS Excel.xls"
Hi Mark

I have just realised that I have been talking absolute rubbish (not unusual<g>)

I drag the VBE window across to the second monitor, not 2 different Excel files, so I can view code on one screen and what is happening on the other screen. Opening another workbook does open on the same monitor as the first workbook, and if I drag that file to the second monitor then switch to the second workbook, that has moved as well.

I'm sorry to have caused the confusion.

I looked at Luc's response about changing the setting, but I couldn't manage to get it to work.
What did you do?

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Roger,

Do you have to adjust Excel to stretch across both monitors and then size one open workbook to fit on the left side and another to fit on the right side? This is what I believe you are saying. I would actually like the convenience of having a new instance of Excel opened. This gives some detachment between what I have open (from my left monitor to my right), and allows for easy closing without the worry of loosing what I am doing on one or the other side. PapaDos has the advice I was looking for, but I was afraid it would alter how I opened EVERY Excel file (which I found not to be the case). It allows for the user to right click an Excel file and select New if they want a new instance of MS Excel loaded when the file is opened.
Hi Mark

I am running XL2003. To show a file on my second monitor, all I do is click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen.

Only 1 instance of Excel is loaded but I can quite happily view 2 different files at the same time.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
I think that is just one of the bugs that you have to accept if you need to use a feature like this.


Thanks for that Mark (and Luc for first drawing attention).
That works and does allow second Workbook to go to second screen, but I keep getting the message that Personal.xls is locked for editing, Open Read only, Notify Cancel. Does anybody know any registry change that can by-pass this and just open Read Only?

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Here is a weblink with instructions explaining what PapaDos was talking about:

http://www.graceba.net/~wmivey/New Instance of MS Excel.xls

If this link doesn't work, try the one below:

http://www.graceba.net/~wmivey/ then select the file labeled "New Instance of MS Excel.xls"
Hi Mark

I have just realised that I have been talking absolute rubbish (not unusual<g>)

I drag the VBE window across to the second monitor, not 2 different Excel files, so I can view code on one screen and what is happening on the other screen. Opening another workbook does open on the same monitor as the first workbook, and if I drag that file to the second monitor then switch to the second workbook, that has moved as well.

I'm sorry to have caused the confusion.

I looked at Luc's response about changing the setting, but I couldn't manage to get it to work.
What did you do?

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Roger,

Do you have to adjust Excel to stretch across both monitors and then size one open workbook to fit on the left side and another to fit on the right side? This is what I believe you are saying. I would actually like the convenience of having a new instance of Excel opened. This gives some detachment between what I have open (from my left monitor to my right), and allows for easy closing without the worry of loosing what I am doing on one or the other side. PapaDos has the advice I was looking for, but I was afraid it would alter how I opened EVERY Excel file (which I found not to be the case). It allows for the user to right click an Excel file and select New if they want a new instance of MS Excel loaded when the file is opened.
Hi Mark

I am running XL2003. To show a file on my second monitor, all I do is click the sizing button to the left of the closing "x" then whilst holding the left mouse button down on the title bar, drag the file to the left (in my case) and it appears on the second screen.

Only 1 instance of Excel is loaded but I can quite happily view 2 different files at the same time.

--
Regards

Roger Govier


If I have two monitors and would like to open more than one instance of Excel so I can display one workbook on one screen and another on the other screen, how would I go about it?

I am using MS Excel 2003, and I have heard there are some issues with this feature.

All I have found so far on this topic would alter ANY xls file to open in a new window (basically a system registry change), but I would like to pick and choose when this occurs. I found one website that said you could use your control key while opening a file to get it into a new window, but that does not work on my PC for some reason.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...
 
I was not thinking about modifying the "New" action but creating another
action (like "Open in a new instance of Excel").
I would not recommend modifying standard actions like you did.
The "New" action is not used much by most Excel's users but it is useful in
its own way, once in a while...

About the personal.xls problem, depending on how and what you are using this
file for, saving it as an XLA would avoid the warning. But it makes calling
its macros from VBA a bit more difficult...
 
Thanks for the feedback PapaDos. I was a bit unclear on what you were
talking about modifying. I will go back an try what you were talking about
now.
 
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