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Forums -> Multiple monitors -> Powerpoint, Excel, Word - multiple instances always on the same monitor?
Ant   2007-11-27 20:25
Hi all,
When I have multiple instances of say Powerpoint, Excel or Word open does anyone know how to have 1 instance open on monitor 1 and another open on Monitor 2 for example?

If I try and move one instance of say Powerpoint to another monitor all instances of Powerpoint move to that monitor. I want to be able to work on one presentation whilst copying and looking through another - both on different screens.

Many thanks

Ant
David DeRolph   2007-11-28 03:39
I have one instance of Excel on monitor #1 and another instance on monitor #2. I'm not sure how to explain this. I think it would helpful if you first tell us more about your system.

What video card are you using? Are both monitors attached to one card? What driver do you have installed for you video card?
Ant   2007-11-28 04:50
Hi,
That sounds like what I would like to achieve. If I try and send one of the Powerpoint/Excel windows to any of my 3 monitors, all windows/instances go to that monitor.

Im using an IBM Thinkpad T60p in a docking station using 3 IBM monitors. My primary monitor is driven from the internal ATI card on the DVI, the other 2 monitors are driven from an NVidia 7600GS card in the docking station - both on DVI. Both cards are using their respective most up to date drivers (or at least recently up to date!). System is XP SP2 and obviously Im using Ultramon :) Office version is 2003 SP3.

Thanks

Ant
David DeRolph   2007-11-28 05:40
I have two video cards installed to run two monitors. The cards are nVidia GeForce4 MX440 (PCI) and GeForce FX5200 (AGP). I do not have UltraMon. I have nVidia's nView Desktop Manager installed, but I don't know whether having it enabled is a requirement here. I do have it enabled.

I open Excel; let's say it's a blank workbook and the default file name is Book1. Then, I open Excel again and this second instance shows Book2 for this blank workbook. I have one button on my taskbar for Excel and it's showing two instances of Excel as being open. By the way, I'm using Windows XP SP2 and Office 2003.

Let's say I both instances are on monitor 1. If I select either instance, i.e. Book1 or Book2, to make it the active window and drag it to the other monitor, it willingly moves there and the other instance of Excel is still on monitor 1.

Does this help any?
Ant   2007-12-02 06:00
Thanks for the reply - unfortunately it doesnt help as I get the opposite behaviour. Draf one all instances of it follow to the Ultramon taskbar on the monitor I drag one instance over to!

Ant
David DeRolph   2007-12-02 09:54
I'm afraid I can't help resolve this, then. I don't have UltrMon and I don't whether it has anything to do with this or not. Let's whether someone who uses it will comment on this.
ecarlson   2007-12-02 12:30
What happens when you uninstall or at least deactivate UltraMon, do you still have the same problem?

I just tried opening 2 instances of Excel 2003 SP2 in XP Pro SP2, and putting one on each monitor, and it worked fine. I don't have Ultramon installed.

I also tried opening 2 Excel files by double-clicking on each one, but they both opened up in the same instance of Excel, so you have to open separate instances of Excel first, then open the files from inside those separate instances if you want them to be in separate windows that can be moved to separate monitors.

- Eric, www.InvisibleRobot.com
Ant   2007-12-03 23:58
Thanks for the replies and assistance on this. Shutting down ultramon allows me have a single instance on any monitor without all other instances following! So it appears to be something Ultramon is doing? Anyone know if there is a way to "fix" this?

Many thanks

Ant
Christian Studer   2007-12-04 11:07
I'm not sure what would cause this, works fine for me with Excel and Word with UltraMon running, and with PowerPoint I can only move all instances, with and without UltraMon running. This is on Vista with Office 2007.

Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
cecilchesser   2007-12-06 04:59
My Powerpoint 2000 does not seem to allow multiple executions. Although two presentations appear seperately on the taskbar, both are running as windows inside one Powerpoint. My Word 2000 and Excel 2000 work differently.

Workaround: Drag the corners of Powerpoint to cover two monitors. Then click on >Window and >Arrange All. Each presentation appears on a seperate screen.
ecarlson   2007-12-15 06:32
There is a semi-hackish way to run 2 instances of PowerPoint. I googled and found that you have to run the second instance using different user credentials (via the RunAs command). Here's one example of the solution.

- Eric, www.InvisibleRobot.com
HerbiSoft   2008-12-16 02:39
I am sorry, this is a little (well, quite :-( ) late but anyways better late than never.

To edit different presentations in their own PowerPoint windows, look at HerbiSoft Multiple Windows for PowerPoint at http://www.herbisoft.com/products/mpw/ - you can also move the separate PowerPoint windows in their own monitors in multi-monitor setups.
Forums -> Multiple monitors -> Powerpoint, Excel, Word - multiple instances always on the same monitor?

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