How to Open Microsoft Excel Files in Separate Windows

Microsoft Excel is an excellent tool for data analysis, financial modeling, and various other tasks that require the manipulation of large data sets. However, working on multiple Excel files simultaneously can be cumbersome, with each file opening in the same window by default. In this article, we will teach you how to open Microsoft Excel files in separate windows to make your work more manageable and efficient.

Step 1: Create a Shortcut

Before we can begin, we need to create a desktop shortcut for the Excel application. Here’s how to do it:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select “New > Shortcut.”
2. In the “Create Shortcut” window, type in the following location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE
3. Click “Next,” then name the shortcut “Excel Separate Windows.”
4. Click “Finish” to create the shortcut.

Step 2: Modify the Registry

To open Excel files in separate windows, we need to modify a registry key. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press the “Windows key + R” on your keyboard to open the “Run” dialog box.
2. Type in “regedit” and hit enter.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.12\shell\Open\command
4. Double-click on the “Default” value to open the edit window.
5. In the “Value data” field, append a space followed by “%1” to the end of the existing value. The updated value should look something like this: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE" "%1"
6. Click “OK” to save the changes.

Congratulations! You have successfully modified the registry to open Excel files in separate windows.

Step 3: Verify the Changes

To verify that Excel files now open in separate windows, do the following:

1. Open your new “Excel Separate Windows” shortcut.
2. In the Excel window that opens, select “File > Open” to browse for and open an Excel file.
3. Repeat step 2 to open a second Excel file.

You should now see both Excel files open in separate windows, allowing you to work on both files simultaneously.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues or want to revert to the default settings, follow these steps:

To remove the registry modification:

1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.12\shell\Open\command
3. Double-click on the “Default” value to open the edit window.
4. Remove the “%1” from the end of the existing value and click “OK” to save the changes.

To restore the default behavior:

1. Open Excel.
2. Select “File > Options > Advanced.”
3. Scroll down to the “General” section and uncheck the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” checkbox.
4. Click “OK” to save the changes.

Conclusion

Opening Excel files in separate windows can greatly increase productivity, especially when working on large and complex projects. By following the simple steps outlined in this article, you can quickly and easily modify the registry to enable this feature. Remember to always backup your registry before making any changes to ensure that you can easily restore the default settings if necessary. Happy Excel-ing!
That’s it for our tutorial on how to open Microsoft Excel files in separate windows. We hope that this guide has been informative and helpful for you. By now, you should have learned how to create a desktop shortcut for Excel, modify the registry to open files in separate windows, and verify changes to ensure that the new functionality is working correctly.

Having separate windows for each Excel file is a massive time-saver, especially if you’re working on multiple projects or managing a large amount of data. You can easily compare and cross-reference different files to make more informed decisions quickly, without having to switch between different workbooks.

As you work with Excel more often, you’ll likely find many other ways to optimize your workflow and productivity, whether it’s through keyboard shortcuts, macros, or other advanced features within the application. Remember to keep learning and experimenting, as Excel is a powerful tool with many capabilities to explore.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you back here for more Excel tutorials and tips in the future!