I'm running XP and the latest Office software. You know how if you have
multiple Word docs open, you see multiple bars down on the task bar? And if
you close one of them with the red X box at the top right (the one for the
application, not the smaller window one), only that one particular Word file
closes; all the rest stay open?

Why doesn't Excel do that? Whenever I use the big red X to close out of
something, it wants to close all Excel worksheets at once. Why is it
different only for Excel? I'm so used to it being the other way in other
applications that I've lost data this way on Excel.

Is there a way to change this?

Tools--Options, View tab. Check Windows in Taskbar.
************
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com

"Ed" wrote in message
...
I'm running XP and the latest Office software. You know how if you have
multiple Word docs open, you see multiple bars down on the task bar? And
if
you close one of them with the red X box at the top right (the one for the
application, not the smaller window one), only that one particular Word
file
closes; all the rest stay open?

Why doesn't Excel do that? Whenever I use the big red X to close out of
something, it wants to close all Excel worksheets at once. Why is it
different only for Excel? I'm so used to it being the other way in other
applications that I've lost data this way on Excel.

Is there a way to change this?

Nope.

Excel and MSWord do behave differently.

I think the best thing to do is to train yourself not to use that X on the
application window.

But if your workbook is dirty (has been changed without subsequent save), then
you will be prompted to save (or cancel). So at least it tries to help you not
lose changes!

I personally don't like the windows in taskbar that you're using--I like the old
xl97 view. And then it really does look like I want to close the application
when I click the application window X.

(I use ctrl-tab to swap between workbooks and then I don't have to go through
the window menu, too.)

Ed wrote:

I'm running XP and the latest Office software. You know how if you have
multiple Word docs open, you see multiple bars down on the task bar? And if
you close one of them with the red X box at the top right (the one for the
application, not the smaller window one), only that one particular Word file
closes; all the rest stay open?

Why doesn't Excel do that? Whenever I use the big red X to close out of
something, it wants to close all Excel worksheets at once. Why is it
different only for Excel? I'm so used to it being the other way in other
applications that I've lost data this way on Excel.

Is there a way to change this?

--

Dave Peterson