How Can I Use Excel on Dual Monitors?

July 07, 2021 - by Bill Jelen

Problem: Why is it so hard to use Excel on two monitors?

Strategy: This problem is fixed in Excel 2013. Every Excel workbook gets its own window, complete with a ribbon and formula bar. Open two workbooks, drag on to the other monitor and you will have 36 linear inches of Excel.

In Excel 2010, you have to use this hack: You can hold down the Shift key while opening Excel to create a second instance of Excel. Downside: you can not copy formulas from one instance to the other.

Problem: I used to open two copies of the same workbook. I could select cells in copy B, see the total in the status bar, and then type that information in to a different place in copy A. Now that Excel opens every workbook in a new window, I can not open the same workbook twice.

Strategy: Open the first instance of the workbook. Then, force Excel to open in a new instance by holding down the Shift key while opening Excel. In the second instance of Excel, use File, Open to open the workbook again.

This article is an excerpt from Power Excel With MrExcel

Title photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash