Workbook Opens on Missing Monitor


May 10, 2017 - by

Workbook Opens on Missing Monitor

An Excel workbook opens, but you can't see it! The taskbar says the workbook is open, but it is not on the screen. This recently happened to me when I opened a workbook that I last opened three years ago when I had a second monitor.

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  • This might happen in Excel 2013 or newer: You open a workbook in Excel.
  • The workbook is not visible. It is in the View, Windows list.
  • But you can not see it.
  • Somehow… the workbook was last saved when I had two monitors.
  • The workbook is remembering its position as somewhere on the second monitor.
  • But I don't have two monitors anymore.
  • Use View, Window to switch to the other workbook
  • Then, hold down the Windows key and press the left or right arrow.
  • Win + Left Arrow will move the application back to the left half of the screen.

Video Transcript

Learn Excel from MrExcel Podcast, Episode 2094: Workbook Opens But Is Not Visible 

Hey, today's question is sent in by me.  This happened a couple of days ago, I opened a new workbook: File, Open and the workbook opened.  It appeared to open fine except I couldn't see it.  And it wasn't this weird problem where I have a blank workbook down in the Status Bar.  Down in the Status bar, the Task bar is actually showing me both workbooks are down there.  I just simply couldn't see it.  And if I would go to View and Switch Windows, right - there it is but it was never opening up. 

And I finally realized that this workbook had not been opened for a couple of years and the last time that I opened this workbook, I owned two monitors.  I had dual monitors on this computer and that somehow, that other workbook was sitting over on the second monitor that's no longer there.  Alright, and I had used some VBA to get the .Left and .Top of the window back where I could see it.  But here's a great trick, if you have the Flying Windows key.  So on your keyboard between the left Ctrl and the left Alt, you might have the Windows key.  If you hold down the Windows key and press the Left Arrow, it will bring the active window back into view; or Windows Right Arrow will move it to the right half of the screen.  So either Windows Left or Windows Right will bring it back.  So, just a quick little tip today.  I guess it’s really now an Excel trick, it’ll work with any apps at all. 

Well, that was so short.  Don't even need to wrap it up, just a Windows key and either Left Arrow or Right Arrow to bring a missing app back into view.

Download File

Download the sample file here: Podcast2094.xlsm

Title Photo: Tama66 / Pixabay