How to force Microsoft Excel to open files in new window [How-To Guide]
January 15, 2012 88
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Often times you may find yourself in a position where you are using two or more Excel spreadsheets at the same time. You can, of course, use Alt + Tab to continually switch between the spreadsheets, or use Microsoft’s build-in secondary window function (you know, how you can minimize spreadsheets within the same window) to place the spreadsheets side by side. However neither of these methods is very attractive if you use multiple monitors or if you like using window-resizer programs like WinSplit Revolution. Rather, a best practice when working with multiple Excel spreadsheets at a time is to open the spreadsheets in separate windows, allowing you to easily tile the windows next to each other using WinSplit Revolution or, if you use multiple monitors, allowing you to place each window in its own monitor.
Unfortunately, the default behavior of Microsoft Excel is to open spreadsheets in the same window. Fortunately, there is a way to force Excel to open spreadsheets in new windows. This guide shows you how to do exactly that.
How to force Microsoft Excel to open files in new window
To force Microsoft Excel to open files in new window, you must do a registry tweak. This tweak takes less than five minutes, works on any computer (Windows XP, Vista, Win7, etc.) with Microsoft Office 2003 and higher (e.g. Office 2007, 2010, etc.), and is very easy to do; plus I have provided screenshots to help you, so don’t be scared that you have to modify the registry to do this. Take note, however, a) You need administrator access to your computer otherwise you won’t be able to modify the registry and b) You should be very careful when you have the registry editor open — accidental changes could crash your computer.
This tweak works with all Excel files, including files you open yourself and files that programs open via Excel.
To make Excel open spreadsheets in new windows, do the following:
- Close Excel, if it is open.
- Press Win + R on your keyboard, type regedit.exe in the Run box that pops up, and hit OK:
- Once you hit OK the registry editor will open. Navigate to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.12/shell/Open/command folder:
- From the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.12/shell/Open/command folder right-click on the (Default) registry entry and select Modify…:
- Add a “%1″ to the end of the Value data textbox:
Make sure you include the quotes and make sure you have a space between the /e and the “%1″. Do not modify anything else. Click OK when you have finished.
- Now right-click the command registry entry (this is from the same HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.12/shell/Open/command folder), select Rename, and rename it to command2:
Ensure you rename the command registry entry and not the command folder.
- Next right-click the ddeexec folder (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.12/shell/Open/ddeexec), select Rename, and rename it to ddeexec2:
- Now go to the Excel.Sheet.8 folder (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.8) and repeat the same steps as mentioned above. In other words, add a “%1″ to the (Default) registry entry from HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.8/shell/Open/command, rename the command registry entry to command2 from HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.8/shell/Open/command, and rename the ddeexec folder (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Excel.Sheet.8/shell/Open/ddeexec) to ddeexec2:
- Close the registry editor (click the X button).
- Done.
Conclusion
I really hope Microsoft adds an option within Excel in future versions to open files in new windows; but until they do, this registry tweak allows you to easily and quickly force Excel to open all files in new windows. Enjoy.
@Ethan:
update…having a 2nd excel open with the new settings does open the 2nd xls in the 2nd excel…but i’d like to be able to open xls and have it open a 2nd instance of excel without having me to do it manually
I did this and it worked fine for a while, but after about a month it reverted back to opening multiple files in the same window.
i tried to do the process again but because i already have ‘ddeexec2′ files from the previous changes, i don’t know what to do when trying to change the settings again.
applying the changes to the command registry entry but not changing the ‘ddeexec2′ does not work?
any help please?
@Amy Lelliott:
I experienced the same problem. I tried deleting the old “ddeexec2″ file, but that did not work. Where you able to find a solution?
@J.R.:
This registry edit didnt work for me on excel 2010
It works – but for excel 2012 (and I assume also for excel 2010) there exist some new filetypes for which you have to repeat the above steps.
I did this for Excel.SheetBinaryMacroEnabled.12
and Excel.SheetMacroEnabled.12
This is all very well, but imposes limitations on functionality.
For example, cannot copy sheets from one instance to a workbook in another instance. Or use format painting across instances.
What I would like to see is an adhoc ability to open a workbook in a new instance. Would be great if a setting could be included in shortcut properties so that particular workbook always opens in its own session while others are open in multi-session.
In particular for example, I have a VBA project that’s a complete running application and therefore means that other workbooks open in the same instance cannot be accessed
For me, the most flexible way for now is to open a new instance and drag the workbook onto it.
I used your trick, and it worked great. But I can’t function without the ability to copy sheets to other workbooks. So I am trying to set things back to normal. I did all the steps in reverse order….but now I can’t click on an Excel file in a folder. It launches Excel, but then I get an error “There was a problem sending the command to the program.” How do I get back to the way things were? Thanks for your help.
I got this formula to work for everything except my Macro Enabled Templates. Those still insist on opening into a workbook that is already up. Know how to solve this?
[@J.R.]
This is what worked for me to solve Amy’s problem:
1. Delete the new “command” that appeared but not the “command2″ that you created previously.
2. Modify the (Default) entry and add the “%1″ at the end.
3. Delete the new “ddeexec” folder that appeared but not the “ddeexec2″ created previously.
Excel files once again open in their own windows. I don’t know what causes this (perhaps a windows update) or if it will happen again. But the above steps worked for me for now, follow at your own risk.
Thanks. This has been bugging me for years.
I tried this, but when I went to open a spread sheet it, if it had spaces in the file name it would try and open each word as a different document, i.e. “One on One Checklist” It would try to open Z:\One.xls, Z:\on.xls, Z:\One.xls, Z:\Checklist.xls. I also tried one with a single word name and ones that were on my C drive, I largely work with items on the network. I use Win 7 64 bit, Office 2007. Any help would be appreciated.
[@RussM] Also, I was unable to do all the steps I did, and it works like it used to now.
I did this and it worked to open up files in new windows, however now all my files open up as a new numbered XI0000000… files and not the original saved file. wtf? how do I fix this? It’s a real problem!