Make new excel documents open in active excel if using multiple desktops

Question

Hi. I have 3 desktops with separate instances of excel in each of them. When I open an excel attachment it always goes to the first excel I created even if it is not on the active desktop nor the active excel. Its infuriating as clearly you want it to open in the excel you have clicked into.

A few years a go I found a little app that forced the document to open in the last excel you clicked into, but I have lost it with change of computer. does anyone know what this app was or any other way to stop excel opening randomly in inactive excel? Drives me mad as have to always download and save before opening. I'm on Windows 11

Thanks

Answer 1

Currently, there is no built-in feature in Excel that allows you to control which instance of Excel an attachment opens in when you have multiple desktops with separate instances. Excel typically opens attachments in the first instance of Excel that was launched, regardless of which desktop or instance is active.

One workaround is to use the command line switch excel.exe /x, which starts Excel in a new process. However, this may not directly address your issue with attachments opening in the wrong instance.

Unfortunately, without the third-party application you mentioned, there isn't a straightforward solution to force Excel to open attachments in the active instance. You may need to continue downloading and saving the attachments before opening them in the desired instance.

If you find the app you previously used or a similar one, that may be the best solution to your issue.

Answer 2

Hi @Mike Asplin, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us. 

To help narrow down the cause, could you please provide a few additional details:  

1. When you say “3 desktops,” are these Windows 11 Virtual Desktops (Task View) or multiple physical monitors? 
2. Are all Excel windows running under the same Microsoft 365 for Business account and installation? 
3. Are you opening the attachment from Outlook desktop, Outlook on the web, or another application? 
4. Does the attachment always open in the first Excel window you launched, regardless of which one is active? 
5. Does the same behavior occur when opening Excel files directly from File Explorer, or only when opening email attachments? 

This will help us better understand the context and provide more targeted support. Any additional information will help us better understand and support you.     

Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Your satisfaction is very important to us, and we’ll make sure this is handled as quickly as possible.    

I'm looking forward to your reply. 

Answer 3

Yes 3 virtual desktops

Yes I am just launching a new instance on each desktop by pressing alt to avoid calculation conflicts

Outlook desktop

Actually it seems to open the LAST Excel I opened from both outlook and explorer even if I am on another desktop and active in that excel.

Thanks

Answer 4

Hi @Mike Asplin, 

Thanks for your response and details.

Based on what you described, the behavior is consistent with how Excel handles multiple windows on Windows 11 virtual desktops. Even though you open Excel on each desktop, Excel still treats them as part of the same overall session. As a result, Windows routes files from Outlook or File Explorer to whichever Excel instance was last registered, not necessarily the one you are currently active in.

A reliable way to keep each desktop isolated is to launch Excel in a true separate process rather than just opening a new window. You can do this with the following method:

1. Press Windows + R, enter excel.exe /x
2. Press Enter

Repeat this on each virtual desktop where you want an independent Excel instance. When you open files or attachments, Windows is more likely to route them to the Excel process on the desktop you are actively using, because each instance is fully separated. I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.    

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you. 

I look forward to continuing the conversation. 

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Answer 5

Hi Jay. That doesn't seem right. When you press alt and open excel you create a new process so how can it be part of the same session. If you dont press alt then yes they are all the same session. In my task manger I see 3 separate excel processes running.

I had app I found top get round this issue, but have lost it.