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How to open a new instance of Excel (2010) by default when opening a file

Anonymous
2011-07-06T21:30:08+00:00

I want to start a new instance of Excel (2010) when I open multiple Excel workbooks. I'm using Windows 7.

It can be done manually, but I'd like to know is there's a way I can set a default to open a new instance when I open a file.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-07-18T21:06:38+00:00

    Use the right-click send-to menu:

    1. Open the path to your Office install (i.e. C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14)
    2. Right click Excel.exe and choose "Create Shortcut".
    3. Move the shortcut to %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo (rename the shortcut if desired)
    4. When you want a document to open in a new instance, right-click the file, send-to your Excel shortcut.
    5. Enjoy bacon.

    No regedit, gives option to open in last window, don't have to use file/open.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-09-23T09:38:08+00:00

    This can be achieved quite easily.

    This webpage explains how:

    http://blog.whitesites.com/Force-Windows-7-to-open-excel-documents-in-separate-windows__634014706378053750_blog.htm

    Note that on that page it states the existing open command will be "excel.exe /e", but mine was "excel.exe /dde". I changed it to /e

    Also it doesn't mention Excel 2010, it only goes as far as 2007, but 2010 also uses "Excel.Sheet.12". I have tested the change on mine and it works perfectly.

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2011-12-09T15:39:52+00:00

    I honestly hate this "feature".  This really needs to be reverted.  The way it worked in 2003 was so much better when by default it would open in new instances.  I understand there were reasons for this, but for the love of pete give us the option to ignore these "improvements that few people want" in favor of functionality that the majority of people need. 

    It is VERY frustratring when you have dual monitors to go through the gyrations necessary to get excel open in two separate windows.

    PLEASE create a standard, microsoft approved fix for this so I don't have to keep fixing peoples machines after they've tried to hack their registry to get this functionality back.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2011-08-12T09:30:37+00:00

    Having all documents forced into a single instance is very frustrating. Launching a second instance manually and dropping a document into the second window or doing a File>Open is cumbersome. When working with something like Sharepoint where you have no control over which instance a document will open in is downright maddening.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2011-07-07T17:08:46+00:00

    Why is it that this happens automatically in Word, but it's not possible in Excel?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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