Opening files from Outlook/Explorer to separate windows in Excel 2

[Andrew Woodworth]

This problem is driving me nuts.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to open each Excel file in a separate process,
separate window, giving my users the ability to work with the Windows side by
side. Knowing this isn't possible or easy, my users have become accustomed
to opening two instances of Excel.

The problem I have occurs when people are opening Excel files attached to
email messages in outlook or when double-clicking a file from Explorer.
Before our upgrade to new PCs and Windows Vista, if the user wanted to have
two files open side by side, they would open two Excel instances. To target
a particular window, they would simply give focus to the Excel instance in
which they wanted the document to open. Double-clicking the attachment in
Excel or Explorer would open the document in the window which last had focus.
This worked beautifully.

Now that we have upgraded to Windows Vista, this method no longer works.
Launching a file by double-clicking the file always opens in the file in the
first instance of Excel without regard for which Excel instance last had
focus. For opening files from Explorer, we have a workaround; we can simply
drag and drop the file to the desired instance. The problem occurs in
Outlook; there is no way to open an attachment except in the default instance
of Excel.

Can anyone tell me how have these files open in a new window? I'm trying to
find a well supported method thatr doesn't involve breaking DDE applications
and hacking the registry.

Thanks.

 

[David Biddulph]

It's always safest not to open the Excel file from Outlook, but to save the
attachment and then open it.

 

[Rich]

The issue is not entirely about opening files from exchange. If I have two
files, x & y sitting on my desktop and merely double click each of them, they
open in the same excel instance. I can't work with them side by side. This
is totally frustrating. Before, the same behavior would result in two
instances (processes) opening and it was a piece of cake to put the two
spreadsheets side by side. Is there a setting in excel that will force excel
to open in a seperate instance for a second file "y" ?

 

[Sheeloo]

See
http://www.vadriano.com/excel-vb/2007/04/12/how-to-open-excel-files-in-a-new-application-instance/ for detailed instructions...

Hope you are aware that you won't be able to copy and paste, between the two
instances, will loose the functionality provided by Excel - things like Paste
Special as Values etc...

Also you can view two workbooks side by side by using the Windows |
Arrange/Tile/Cascade options...