VBA Genuis

[JerryKaminsky]

Has anyone figured out a way via vba code to have one excel instance open with multiple files across multiple monitors. I realize that there is hardware that does this or a registry hack. The first is out of the budget and the second will not be supported in the firm. I would think that MS would have thought of this.

Peace Out.....

 

[chuckchuckit]

Think I understand now. Is it?:
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Two screens with two Excel Workbooks on separate screens. When an Excel Workbook on one screen is changed, Excel Workbook on the other will show the same changes?
<o></o>
The other idea of “worksheets” from one Excel instance being shown on two screens is not possible. Excel will not allow separating the “worksheets” at all.
<o></o>
But there are a couple of ways that two Workbooks of Excel can be separated on two screens. If you perhaps were to chose one of the below possibilities to do, then that would determine how to share the data between the workbooks.
<o></o>
Possibility #1: One instance of Excel with two Workbooks open.
<o></o>
You would have to set up your graphics card (not sure if all graphics cards allow this) so two monitors behave as one monitor. This is done in the Windows Control Panel Monitor resolution area. I think when you “uncheck” the extended option for the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> monitor, then the two monitors become one with the same resolution. It just spreads the resolution over the width of two monitors. Depending upon your graphics card and playing with the higher resolutions settings, this may or may not be appealing to the eye. As the resolution may be cut in half on each monitor so you would have to try it to see.
<o></o>
Then open two workbooks in the same instance of Excel. Then using the Menu: Home, View, Arrange All, Tiled, OK. That will put both workbooks side by side. You should be able to slide them around individually and size them by dragging the borders etc to get each one centered on a separate monitor. Since Excel thinks it is just one monitor, that should work.
<o></o>
If the resolution and eye appeal is OK then, there are people on this board who I think have already figured out how to have one workbook follow the other. I have not done this part, but I am pretty sure it has been done here.
<o></o>
If the resolution is not good enough or looks too out of shape etc, then you will be stuck with using the next possibility that has to use two instances of Excel:
<o></o>
Possibility #2: Two instances of Excel, each have a separate Workbook open in its own instance.
<o></o>
Set the graphics card for “Extended” as then each monitor will behave independently.
<o></o>
Then open two instances of Excel one in each monitor.
<o></o>
Now the coding way I might approach it. I was asking about time lags because I think you could have the Master Workbook every so often write a new copy of itself when changes are made as a backup workbook copy perhaps. The other Slave workbook on the other screen every few seconds or so could keep looking for this new changed workbook backup file to appear from the Master. The Slave workbook could rename it so it can then open it as the new updated Slave. Then delete it’s old slave Workbook. This should give exact copies of the same Workbook on two screens.
<o></o>
If you use things like turning off updating the screen till you are done, might just see a blink with the full changes. I think it would work well. Only thing is how to time the saving of the changes with the Master might be tricky. Every 5 seconds? After every enter key pushed? Might get tricky. If you could somehow write the Workbooks to memory or Arrays, you might not be so Hard Disk intensive. Or if a 10 second lag time is possible, then just update both every 10 seconds and I think it would work pretty smooth.
<o></o>
That is my un-orthodoxed approach, and how I might consider such a task.
<o></o>
Hope it is of some use.
<o></o>
Chuck

 

[chuckchuckit]

Turns out there is a much simpler solution. We have resolved it in this link:

http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=576651&page=2

 

[shg]

That was my suggestion in post #5 of this thread, chuck.

 

[chuckchuckit]

shg,

Thought you were talking about using "Windows" to set the two monitors. That is why the conversation went in that direction.

And it's nice we got it resolved.