Ignore Other Applications

[quintully]

When you attempt to open a Microsoft Excel file from File Manager (or the Finder if you are using Microsoft Excel for the Apple Macintosh) or any program other than Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Excel is activated but the worksheet remains closed.

The fix is
1. On the Tools menu, click Options. Select the General tab.
2. Clear the Ignore Other Applications check box and click OK.

Now I have seen this Q/A many times in this discussion group, but I have different question

WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT IS USE “Ignore Other Applications� It is there for some reason. And if deselect it, to fix the above, what have lost
Jim Tull

 

[Gord Dibben]

Jim

If you leave it checked you can open two or more instances of Excel at a time
rather than having multi-files in one instance.

Not too useful to most people.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Dave Peterson]

I agree with Gord.

But I did ask this to someone who asked how to get multiple excel instances
started. Their response was that they wanted to run each separately so they
could do things in one while the other is busy--calculating/macros.

That always seemed on the dangerous side to me.

 

[Jonathan Rynd]

That always seemed on the dangerous side to me.

Not dangerous -- our customers do it all the time.