Office & productivity software forum: Configuring Excel to open several files in the same window.

I seem to remember they changed the behavior from Office 97 to Office 2000, so the version (97, 2000, XP=2002, 2003, 2007) and the OS might be important.

Kees

Anybody...... Bueler....

he means one window where he can switch between the worksheets with ctrl-f6 (like when you use File>Open) and not with alt-tab (like when you open via Explorer). Not my preference (I hate ctrl-f6), but surely a reasonable with. But I don't know if it's possible and how to do it. Do you?

Kees

I want all the excel files to open within the already opened application. CTRL-F6 will switch between them. According to MSFT, adding the "/a" switch, should accomplish what I want, however it is not working.

Tools - Options - View Tab - uncheck 'windows in taskbar'

...was to put the several Excel files unto the tabs of a single Excel Window, which can be very handy(and which not many users know about! ) What the origional poster wanted was to have several Excel files OPENED and VISIBLE within the one single Excel window. This seems imposible.

A "Window" contains a title bar - the blue (default color) strip at the top. An opened file is itself a Window, containing the title bar. So, if files are opened within a Window, the files must be windows. We therefore have a situation where there are 'sub-windows' visible within a main Window...Windows Explorer does not do this.

We can show several opened windows tiled vertically or horizontally on the screen, OR configure Windows Explorer to open files with another window (in which case, windows are opened on top of the earlier opened one)rather than using the same window(in which case, the opened files drop into the task bar.), but I have not seen "Opened smaller Windows within a main big window"

Maybe I am missing something ?

changed after Excel XP (2002).

I think I know what you mean. I have Office XP (2002), and if I open Excel itself, then open more than one Excel file, either from File > Open, or dragging and dropping from Explorer, then they will all open in the main Excel program window, and each can be minimised to tabs within the program window itself. Only one Taskbar icon is used.

But in my Office XP (2002) Word, I don't see that. opening more than one Word document opens new program windows, with an icon in the Taskbar for each.

HOWEVER! Looking at the advice above, I have just found the option, in Word, for setting this the way I like, ie only one program window open, and this stops additional taskbar icons from displaying and also groups together multiple documents into the same program window where they can be minimised to tabs. In Word that is in Tools > Options > View tab, and then de-select the "Windows in Taskbar". I wish I had seen that before!

So, I don't know if Excel/Office 2003 will be the same, but in Excel, goto Tools > Options > View tab, and see whether the option "Windows in Taskbar" is ticked. If so, untick it. Try it with a couple of Excel workbooks open, and see if that groups them together into the one Excel program window.

Mark

Excel Workbooks and Word documents each have their own 3 boxes, top right, for minimize, reduce, and exit. That is in addition to the actual 'programs' minimze, reduce, and exit buttons.

So that top Excel workbook. Press the middle button to reduce, or the minimize button to minimize. Either will show the other workbooks beneath.

Does that help?

Mark

that going through the Tools > Options settings I lost track of your original question.

You actually want the Excel program window to open several times, with a workbook in each, rather than have one program window, with several workbooks inside.

If there are no more settings you can test/change in Options, then I don't think it is possible. As Kees said earlier in this thread, and from my own experience, Microsoft changed the behavior of Excel around about Excel XP (2002), and they lost that option to have separate windows.

However, there may be one last thing you can try. Open Excel itself twice, (or as many times as you like), and not via any Excel workbook files. What I mean is, instead of double clicking an .xls file to open Excel, double click the Excel icon on your Desktop, or click the Start menu link for Excel, and do that as many times as you need, then within each, goto File > Open, and navigate to your files.

That works for me.

Mark

Window menu, Arrange, Vertical

Sorry, I am using Office 2005 on Vista 32 bit.
Also, I found that Windows - New Window doesn't work. It simply creates another tab in the task bar but no new window. So now I've lost that functionality as well.
I suspect my next step will have to be to reinstall Vista and Office - again.

Using Windows XP & Excel 2003

Had Two problems:

First when I was double clicking an excel file in My Computer, it was not opening the file and was giving me and error message,
"Cannot find the file. Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all required libraries are available."

Second problem is that when I double click on a file in My Computer, I want it to open in the same instance of excel that is already open and not open a new instance.

I made sure that
Excel > Tools > Options >General > "Ignore other Applications" was unchecked.

My computer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types >xls > Advanced > Open > Edit
*Note: "Browse in same window" is checked.

Action
&Open
Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"
Use DDE (unchecked)
this was suggested here: http://kbalertz.com/211494/Excel-Opens-Without-
Result: Solved! Now the file opens with no error!!
*But, when I go back in the "Use DDE" box is now checked?? and "DDE Message" is blank.

I've read that checking the Use DDE box forces Excel to open a file in a new instance.

Although unchecking mine fixed the first problem, when i go back in it appears checked and I can't seem to keep it permanently unchecked.

It continues to open a new instance of excel. I need my files to open in the same instance because there are links between them that do not work otherwise.

I've even verified the registry as was suggested here
http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-3648338.php

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE\shell\open]
@="&open"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office11\\EXCEL.EXE\" /e"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE\shell\open\ddeexec\application]
@="Excel"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\EXCEL.EXE\shell\open\ddeexec\topic]
@="System"

I've noticed that even though I unchecked "use DDE" that when i go back in it is still there???

The original post is about Excel spreadsheets, yours is about Word documents, and their problem was wanting each spreadsheet to open within the Excel application window. Your problem appears to be about web browsers.

It is possible that your IE7 settings in Vista and Win 7 are set not to use tabs. I would check that first.

Mark

Do this:
http://www.lytebyte.com/2008/05/13/how-to-open-two-excel-files-side-by-side-in-separate-monitors/