opening multiple instances of excel

This is maybe another variation of the excel instance issue. I have an
Access app that uses bound object frames to manage document data. Each open
document of whatever type gets its own bound object frame bound to an OLE
Object table record. With Word and other apps, opening multiple documents
results in multiple instances of the app. This is the that the users want
things to work. With Excel, only one instance of Excel is opened no matter
how many documents are opened. Each doc has its own bound object frame bound
to its own table record but there is only one instance of excel. The users
find this very unnatural and would like to see the same behavior as Word,
each doc in its own instance. I have tried all combinations of Windows in
Taskbar and Ignore other apps and the behavior is always the same, only one
instance of Excel.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to force separate instances of Excel, one
per worksheet?

John,

They really need to be educated. The effort to force Excel to behave in this
way must be magnitudes more than it would take for them to adapt.

Get them to be realistic.

--

HTH

RP
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)


"John B" <John [email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This is maybe another variation of the excel instance issue. I have an
> Access app that uses bound object frames to manage document data. Each
open
> document of whatever type gets its own bound object frame bound to an OLE
> Object table record. With Word and other apps, opening multiple documents
> results in multiple instances of the app. This is the that the users want
> things to work. With Excel, only one instance of Excel is opened no
matter
> how many documents are opened. Each doc has its own bound object frame
bound
> to its own table record but there is only one instance of excel. The
users
> find this very unnatural and would like to see the same behavior as Word,
> each doc in its own instance. I have tried all combinations of Windows in
> Taskbar and Ignore other apps and the behavior is always the same, only
one
> instance of Excel.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on how to force separate instances of Excel,
one
> per worksheet?

I don't believe that Word works this way (normally).

It may look like several instances of Word, but it's not. (The interface works
differently than excel, though. Word's Single Document Interface is different
than excel's windows in taskbar.)

I agree with Bob, too. I try to only open one instance of excel and have
multiple workbooks open within that instance.

But maybe you could force a separate instance of excel by:

Tools|options|general|check Ignore other applications

This may result in "cannot find" error messages when the folder/filename
contains spaces.

(so it might not be much of a fix!)

If I really want multiple instances, I'll start a second instance manually.

Usually clicking on a shortcut to excel.exe will do it.

Then File|open.

====
But I find multiple instances more difficult to work with. Try copying a range
with formulas from one instance to another instance (and you'll see one of my
objections).



John B wrote:
>
> This is maybe another variation of the excel instance issue. I have an
> Access app that uses bound object frames to manage document data. Each open
> document of whatever type gets its own bound object frame bound to an OLE
> Object table record. With Word and other apps, opening multiple documents
> results in multiple instances of the app. This is the that the users want
> things to work. With Excel, only one instance of Excel is opened no matter
> how many documents are opened. Each doc has its own bound object frame bound
> to its own table record but there is only one instance of excel. The users
> find this very unnatural and would like to see the same behavior as Word,
> each doc in its own instance. I have tried all combinations of Windows in
> Taskbar and Ignore other apps and the behavior is always the same, only one
> instance of Excel.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on how to force separate instances of Excel, one
> per worksheet?

--

Dave Peterson

I checked on Word and you are correct. The major difference is that word and
other apps act as if they are different instances. The biggest issue is that
with two worksheets open in what appear to be two windows with two icons on
the task bar, if the Excel app is closed(not one of the worksheets) both
apparent "virtual instances" are closed. This if the user is finished with
one worksheet and clicks the x on excel to close that worksheet, the user
inadvertently closes both of the worksheets which is not what is wanted.
Word and the other apps I have tried do not work that way. With word, if
there are two docs open in two "virtual instances", closing one "virtual
instance" has not effect on the other which is the way things ought to work.
Ignore other apps does not seem to have any effect, one way or the other.

"Dave Peterson" wrote:

> I don't believe that Word works this way (normally).
>
> It may look like several instances of Word, but it's not. (The interface works
> differently than excel, though. Word's Single Document Interface is different
> than excel's windows in taskbar.)
>
> I agree with Bob, too. I try to only open one instance of excel and have
> multiple workbooks open within that instance.
>
> But maybe you could force a separate instance of excel by:
>
> Tools|options|general|check Ignore other applications
>
> This may result in "cannot find" error messages when the folder/filename
> contains spaces.
>
> (so it might not be much of a fix!)
>
> If I really want multiple instances, I'll start a second instance manually.
>
> Usually clicking on a shortcut to excel.exe will do it.
>
> Then File|open.
>
> ====
> But I find multiple instances more difficult to work with. Try copying a range
> with formulas from one instance to another instance (and you'll see one of my
> objections).
>
>
>
> John B wrote:
> >
> > This is maybe another variation of the excel instance issue. I have an
> > Access app that uses bound object frames to manage document data. Each open
> > document of whatever type gets its own bound object frame bound to an OLE
> > Object table record. With Word and other apps, opening multiple documents
> > results in multiple instances of the app. This is the that the users want
> > things to work. With Excel, only one instance of Excel is opened no matter
> > how many documents are opened. Each doc has its own bound object frame bound
> > to its own table record but there is only one instance of excel. The users
> > find this very unnatural and would like to see the same behavior as Word,
> > each doc in its own instance. I have tried all combinations of Windows in
> > Taskbar and Ignore other apps and the behavior is always the same, only one
> > instance of Excel.
> >
> > Does anyone have any ideas on how to force separate instances of Excel, one
> > per worksheet?
>
> --
>
> Dave Peterson
>

I feel your pain. But I don't think that there is any way around it--save
training.

I personally like the multiple document interface. I ctrl-tab between workbooks
and know that if I close the application, I'm closing the application.

===
Did you try the separate instances of excel? (I still don't like it, but maybe
it's better for you/your users.)

John B wrote:
>
> I checked on Word and you are correct. The major difference is that word and
> other apps act as if they are different instances. The biggest issue is that
> with two worksheets open in what appear to be two windows with two icons on
> the task bar, if the Excel app is closed(not one of the worksheets) both
> apparent "virtual instances" are closed. This if the user is finished with
> one worksheet and clicks the x on excel to close that worksheet, the user
> inadvertently closes both of the worksheets which is not what is wanted.
> Word and the other apps I have tried do not work that way. With word, if
> there are two docs open in two "virtual instances", closing one "virtual
> instance" has not effect on the other which is the way things ought to work.
> Ignore other apps does not seem to have any effect, one way or the other.
>
> "Dave Peterson" wrote:
>
> > I don't believe that Word works this way (normally).
> >
> > It may look like several instances of Word, but it's not. (The interface works
> > differently than excel, though. Word's Single Document Interface is different
> > than excel's windows in taskbar.)
> >
> > I agree with Bob, too. I try to only open one instance of excel and have
> > multiple workbooks open within that instance.
> >
> > But maybe you could force a separate instance of excel by:
> >
> > Tools|options|general|check Ignore other applications
> >
> > This may result in "cannot find" error messages when the folder/filename
> > contains spaces.
> >
> > (so it might not be much of a fix!)
> >
> > If I really want multiple instances, I'll start a second instance manually.
> >
> > Usually clicking on a shortcut to excel.exe will do it.
> >
> > Then File|open.
> >
> > ====
> > But I find multiple instances more difficult to work with. Try copying a range
> > with formulas from one instance to another instance (and you'll see one of my
> > objections).
> >
> >
> >
> > John B wrote:
> > >
> > > This is maybe another variation of the excel instance issue. I have an
> > > Access app that uses bound object frames to manage document data. Each open
> > > document of whatever type gets its own bound object frame bound to an OLE
> > > Object table record. With Word and other apps, opening multiple documents
> > > results in multiple instances of the app. This is the that the users want
> > > things to work. With Excel, only one instance of Excel is opened no matter
> > > how many documents are opened. Each doc has its own bound object frame bound
> > > to its own table record but there is only one instance of excel. The users
> > > find this very unnatural and would like to see the same behavior as Word,
> > > each doc in its own instance. I have tried all combinations of Windows in
> > > Taskbar and Ignore other apps and the behavior is always the same, only one
> > > instance of Excel.
> > >
> > > Does anyone have any ideas on how to force separate instances of Excel, one
> > > per worksheet?
> >
> > --
> >
> > Dave Peterson
> >

--

Dave Peterson