You should be able to open another instance of Excel. You need to actually
launch Excel from the programs menu. If you just double-click another .xls
file, it will just open in the current instance of Excel running.

HTH,
Paul

"CalvinEye" wrote in message
...
Sometimes I can open two excel files and use them side by side on an
extended
desktop; sometimes the two files open within the same window and I can't
use
them independently of each other. Why? I don't just want to tile the
windows
within the one excel useage.