opening existing files is seperate windows

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike Hanneke
  • Start date Start date
M

Mike Hanneke

Does anyone know how to do this by just double-clicking on the existing
file. I've looked in tools -> options and couldn't find a switch. I have
found that if you open two new workbooks, then click on the existing file,
alt-tab to the other workbook and click on another existing file, this will
work but is obviously a pain in the arse. Any help would be appreciated.

Mike
 
From a previous post by Dave Peterson:

You may want to try unchecking:

Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications

Then see if doubleclicking on a file in windows|explorer will start a new
instance of excel.

This works!
 
This starts a separate instance of excel. If you're using xl2k or higher, you
can actually have all your open workbooks in the same instance, but each with
its own icon one the taskbar.

Tools|Options|view tab|(Check) windows in taskbar
 
Having separate instances is what I'm looking for. I'm tired of closing out
the wrong sheet due to everything being contained in the same instance.
It's too much of a hassle to try to remember "what's what" when you have
more than a couple open at the same time.

I did find out when I checked "ignore other applications" that it only
worked while the current session was open. Once I closed everything out and
tried to restart by double-clicking on an existing spreadsheet, I received
the following error message, "Cannot find the file 'C:\Documents and
Settings\file name.xls' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and
filename are correct and that all required libraries are available."

In the past I've received this error message when the application was not
loaded properly or associated correctly. This was not the case this time
since the extension was correctly associated. To fix this, I had to open a
new workbook and uncheck the "ignore...." box.

I guess the bottom line is xl2k won't open separate instances w/o the
workaround I previously mentioned.

Thanks for your help,
Mike
 
There are two typical suggestions to the "cannot find the file..." error.

They're:
1. Tools|options|uncheck Ignore other applications
2. Reregister excel

close excel
windows start button|Run
Excel /unregserver
followed by
excel /regserver

Maybe you could try the /unregserver, then /regserver, then verify the "ignore"
option and see if that helped.

If it didn't, maybe you could stop double clicking on *.xls files in windows
explorer. Just open another copy of excel and file|open.
 
I tried the regserver suggestion on two machines and came up nada. Oh well,
it looks like I'm stuck launching virgin instances and painfully browsing
many levels down.

Mike
 
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