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Excel -- Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhh!

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ToraToraTora | 13:11 Wed 14th May 2014 | Technology
13 Answers
OK here's the situation, I have 2 completely separate excel documents. Each has a shortcut link on my desktop. Until yesterday I could open them both and they would each open a separate instance of Excel and then I could view them side by side. Suddenly, something has changed and they insist on openning in the same instance of excel and I have to flip between them. Pain in the proverbial some sort of upgrade from MS no doubt. Anyway how do I get back to what I had before. I have googled and there are many suggestions but none do what I want. There must be an option somewhere but I can't find it! Why do MS always default to the most annoying settings? Help! Thanks!
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>>>they insist on openning in the same instance of excel and I have to flip between them

Not if you go to the 'View' tab and click on 'View Side by Side'!
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/excel-help/view-two-or-more-worksheets-at-the-same-time-HP001217043.aspx#BMsidebysideworkbooks
Question Author
ok thanks but how do I get them to open in separate instances? Also I have 2 screens one on each(Nomally).
I would guess there must be an Excel setting that allows or refuses multiple instances ? Try checking the settings.
Hi Tora,

It's standard behaviour - maybe your shortcuts were a bit clever before?

Anyway, I open one in the normal way and then open a separate instance of Excel. In the separate instance I go to file > open and locate the file to open.

If you're using Windows 7/8 you can "middle-click" the Excel icon/group and to open a new instance of Excel.

Hope that's what you're after.
Dunno if this helps.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2010-office_install/disable-excel-2010-from-opening-files-in-multiple/daee01f3-3e08-455b-a7dd-9cdb2ceadf44

BTW does anyone know if there is a way to select a cell and get Excel to show all other cells in the workbook which refer to it in their formulae ? Useful for finding unused values.
Question Author
done that to death OG. Yes ED that's a way doing it but I'm mightily irked that I had it right how I wanted it and some setting somewhere has knackered it!
Question Author
yes OG mine does that anyway, must be a setting somewhere! again no idea where!
Question Author
OG, I looked into your post at 16:34 it had promise but sadly all that does is create another button on the task bar the 2 docs are still in the same instance of excel.
Commiserations T3

I know just what you mean

I hate Excel - particularly when it does that thing where it assumes any number you put in is a date, and setting the properties for the cells doesn't seem to make any difference
Question Author
excel is an incredibly powerful tool but like most modern software there is a tendency to default to the most anoying settings all the time. so something good becomes annoying. There's some satanic microsoft worker somewhere doing an evil laugh!
Sorry it didn't help Tora.

Cheers Ellipsis,I'll check that out in work tomorrow.
Apologies to Tora³.

That was good Ellipsis, at least for the Work one, but being 2007 I'm unsure it'll be available on me home 2003 version. Ah well....

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