Its been a while since I did this, but...

In addition to the "Ignore other applications" option in Excel, you need
to disable use of DDE in Windows Explorer when launching xls files.

Explorer = Tools = Folder Options = File Types = XLS = Advanced =
Open = Edit
1) untick "Use DDE",
2) add a "%1" to the end of the "Application used" string above.

It works as you require, but IIRC doing Office Updates can revert it,
which then gets annoying.

Also annnoying that you have to do this per each extension (XLT etc...)
and Action per extension (New etc...).

HTH & HIW. :)

Stu.

On 5/04/2008 11:00 AM, fred wrote:
Excel 2003 SP3 - Plus all post hot fixes

When I am in explorer and click an excel file - excel opens - when I click
on the next file it opens in the same excel, but on task bar it shows I have
2 excel files opened. But it will not let me look at files side by side

I actual want it to open 2 or more copies of excel so that I can view data
side by side. This is default behavior on my system for Word - every time I
click a word doc it opens a copy of word for each file.



I turned on ToolsOptionsGeneral "Ignore other applications" this opens
different copies of excel but not the files I click on. Excel opens blank.

Tools - Options - View - Windows in Taskbar. this doesn't help either

I don't like the Compare side by side option under Window.

Thanks