Multiple instances of excel 2007

[tomhd]

Hi
I just installed excel 2007 and encounter a strange problem. When I open 2 or more excel instances from windows explore by double-clicking excel icons, those instances are not linkable, they seem absolutely independent to one another (in View/switch windows only sees one workbook). However when I open second file from within the first instance (Ctrl+O), I see 2 in the view/switch windows and it works fine.

What is the problem and how can I fix it? Many thanks

 

[pgc01]

EDIT: Deleted. Not answering the question.

 

[BrianB]

It was already like that in excel 2000

I am still using 2000 and it adds double-clicked files in Explorer to a single Excel instance. Was the same for Excel 97.

When I saw this message I wondered if there was a new fancy option like Tools/Options/View ... Windows in Taskbar ? - but different

 

[pgc01]

Hi Brian

Thank you for posting. You are right.

There can be, in fact several instances of Word or Excel whereas in Powerpoint there can only be one. However, that's not what tomhd is asking.

I also have xl2000 and if I double click on a file in the explorer it opens the file in the same instance. If I want another instance I have to lauch excel again. Sorry tomhd. I'll try to look it up, but I don't have xl2007.

 

[pgc01]

One thing you can check. I don't know any option in excel to for to open (or not open) another instance when you double click the file. However, you can do it by direct configuration in windows.

Usually the Open of an excel document is done via DDE and that's why it opens the file in the same instance. You can change it by not using DDE to open the file.

In the windows explorer, in Tools>Folder Options>File types, XLS, Advanced check the Open form.

In my case it has the "Use DDE" box checked (and below the DDE message Open "%1").

Uncheck it.

Now you have to include the parameter in the command line.
The command line is something like (in my case) C:\Program Files\...\EXCEL.EXE /e

To pass the filename add at the end "%1" (include the quotes).

Now, each time we double click a file excel lauches a new instance.

tomb, maybe you have the DDE unchecked and you must do exactly the opposite, check the DDE box, add the message and remove the parameter from the command line.

 

[tomhd]

thx pgc01
i added the DDE message int he DDE box and it works great, now when i db-click the icons, all files are opened in the same instance.

 

[pgc01]

I'm glad it worked. I wonder why this was not automatically set up during installation.

Cheers.

 

[gamesn00]

I know this is a somewhat old thread, but It has helped me open multiple instances of Excel. I needed to use this because we have an interface with an access database built into an excel file where we would not be able to open any excel file without creating a new insance. I'm unsure if there will be an easy solution, but if we open the excel file described above after having an instance of excel already open, all of the macros and database links error out. Any suggestions?

 

[VanBillsing]

Another way of opening 2 instances is to double click the file you wish to open. Once that is open go to start/programs/msoffice/excel and just open another instance from there. Then you can use File/open
It works for me.

 

[scotawful]

I think I'm a total halfwit. I've got this same problem running Excel 2007 on a windows 7 OS. Everytime I open a file, a new entire instance of excel opens. This is particularly problematic when I need to move/copy tabs from one workbook to the next: one instance of Excel doesn't recognize the others.

I tried the solution described above, but was quickly stopped because windows 7 doesn't have the same options available under Tools > Folder Option........that's as far as it goes and there is no File Types to click on from there.

Does anybody know how to set this up so that Excel does NOT automatically open new instances every time a file is opened (by clicking on an icon from the windows explorer window).??

As always, any help is greatly appreciated!