Two worksheets on two different monitors

[test_man2]

Greetings! Is there a way to open the same spreadsheet (on the same computer) twice so that one can view two different worksheets at the same time? I'd like to reference worksheet1 while building a formula in worksheet2 without having to flip back and forth. Right now, the only way I can think of doing that is to make a copy of the spreadsheet, perhaps name it name_ref1, and then open both spreadsheets. Is there a way to open just one spreadsheet instead?

 

[Fluff]

Not sure if this works with different monitors, but if you go to the View tab & select New Window, you can look at two different sheets at the same time.

 

[Candyman8019]

There is a registry entry that you can create so that Excel opens a new instance with every workbook. I use it on all of my computers. There are a few variations of the entry that I've seen, but give this one a try.

Edit the Registry​

• First, close all instances of Excel.
• Open the Registry Editor.
• Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Options.
• Click Edit in the menu, press New, and select DWORD value.
• Name the entry ‘DisableMergeInstance’, press enter.
• Right-click the entry DisableMergeInstance, and select Modify.
• In the Value data box, fill in 1, and click OK.

 

[Candyman8019]

Ah, just found a link to the one that I use...

How-to Open Each Excel Spreadsheet in a New Instance

In Windows XP there was the advanced file type options which could be changed to open each Excel file in a new instance of Excel. In Windows 7 that advanced option is not available. So, when mulple Excel spreadsheets are opened in Office 2007/2010 on a Windows 7 system, all will open in the same...

conetrix.com

Works for all versions of Windows so far.

 

[Joe4]

There is a registry entry that you can create so that Excel opens a new instance with every workbook. I use it on all of my computers. There are a few variations of the entry that I've seen, but give this one a try.

One caveat with that, that is probably worth mentioning.
If you have any VBA code that needs to work across workbooks, this setting would wreak havoc with that, as I don't believe VBA can see Excel workbooks open in other instances of Excel (I believe it can only see workbooks opened in the same instance of Excel).

 

[Candyman8019]

Joe4, all of my workbooks show up in the same Developer window...seems to work just fine for me.

 

[Joe4]

Joe4, all of my workbooks show up in the same Developer window...seems to work just fine for me.

That's odd. That seems to suggest that they aren't separate instances.
Under your current set-up, are you able to open the exact same file twice (at the same time)?

If I have an Excel instance open on my computer, and then open another instance using the method explained in section 1.3 here: 7 Ways to Open Multiple Instances of Excel - Gorilla BI, I can only see the current file in VBA, and not the file open in my first instance.

I can run this VBA code and confirm that VBA does not see the other Excel file in the other instance:

Sub AllActiveFiles()

    Dim wb As Workbook
    
    For Each wb In Workbooks
        MsgBox wb.Name
    Next wb
    
End Sub

It only lists the file I just opened, and not the other Excel file open in my first instance.

 

[FormR]

Not sure if this works with different monitors

It works for me, and a useful option that I didn't know existed!

 

[Fluff]

Thanks for the confirmation. A lot better than playing around with the registry (IMO)

 

[Candyman8019]

That's odd. That seems to suggest that they aren't separate instances.
Under your current set-up, are you able to open the exact same file twice (at the same time)?

If I have an Excel instance open on my computer, and then open another instance using the method explained in section 1.3 here: 7 Ways to Open Multiple Instances of Excel - Gorilla BI, I can only see the current file in VBA, and not the file open in my first instance.

I can run this VBA code and confirm that VBA does not see the other Excel file in the other instance:

Sub AllActiveFiles()

    Dim wb As Workbook
   
    For Each wb In Workbooks
        MsgBox wb.Name
    Next wb
   
End Sub

It only lists the file I just opened, and not the other Excel file open in my first instance.

I cannot open the same file in two windows...but every different file I open is in it's own instance of Excel.