# opening multiple instances of excel



## Tormac (Nov 6, 2007)

I'm having a bit of trouble with excel 2003.

Whenever I try to open a second spead sheet excel opens it within the preexsisting excel window, just overtop of the first excel spread sheet.

I'm tryign to figure out how to open multiple instances of excel (have one speadsheet open in one window, and a second speard sheet open in a sceond window, not have them listed side by side in the same excel window).

Thanks for any help on this.


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## WAJ0606 (Oct 10, 2007)

Why do you need two instances of Excel open versus arranging multiple windows in one instance? You can arrange the windows with relative ease for comparative purposes by right clicking on the title bar.


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Hi, welcome to the board!

Excel is different than other Office applications in that it is a _single instance application_. (I find it funny how you hit the nail on the head with your terminology, most do not.) As WAJ0606 says, it is in how you wish to structure them in your taskbar. To change this setting look into Tools | Options | View, look for _Show all windows in the Taskbar_ option.

HTH


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## Tormac (Nov 6, 2007)

Thanks guys for the hand.

As far as the why WAJ0606, I would find it much easier dealing with multiple spread sheets, and a secondary sorce of information (say cutting and pasting from a web page into a table, and trying to compare that information with multiple spread sheets). It is easy to get multiple spread sheets laid out nicely within excell proper as long as one has excel maximized (and one has a 20' monitor), but I find it tedious to have to switch back and forth to other sources of information and multiple spread sheets within excel.

Oh well, this may just be an exscuse ask for a second monitor for my desk. Two 20' monitors would also solve my issue, I think .

If I can't finess things with software, I'll try to brute my way through with more hardware.


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

It's generally best to keep all of your information in one spreadsheet (related information) and just use multiple sheets. Ctrl + Page Up/Page Down will cycle forward/reverse through your visible sheets as well.

All the best luck to you.


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## Cyps (Jan 3, 2006)

This is strange, I have just opened two separate instances of Excel in their own window by double clicking on the Excel icon. Is this how you proceed or are you doing things differently?


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

@Cyps: You may have the setting toggled which I mentioned.


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## bomb #21 (Jul 1, 2005)

firefytr said:


> Excel is different than other Office applications in that it is a _single instance application_ ...


Could just be me but ... are you sure about this? If I open Excel it shows up once in ALT+Tab. I can then open it *again* & (ignoring the "personal.xls is locked" nag) ALT+Tab then has *two* "versions".


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Yes, I am sure. The instancing application will show as a separate instance, and you can sometimes open multiple instances, but as it was *designed* to be a single instance. While there are some 'funky' things you can do, the design is in fact single instance. But I do know what you're talking about Andy. There are times in code where I will create a separate instance - aside from the currently running instance - to do some things with, i.e. *Set xlApp = New Excel.Application*, but this is generally very rare.


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