Excel Won't Display Different Windows in the Taskbar

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 7, 2026)

Harold runs Excel 2002 on a Windows XP system. He often has several workbooks open at the same time, and he likes to see individual buttons for each workbook on the Taskbar. The problem is that he cannot get the system to display the desired multiple buttons.

There are two things that need to be checked out in order to make sure that you really get multiple buttons on the Taskbar. The first thing is in Excel; follow these steps:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the View tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The View tab of the Options dialog box.

  3. Select the Windows in Taskbar check box. This ensures that Excel displays individual buttons for each open workbook.
  4. Click OK.

The next thing that needs to be checked is in Windows itself. Follow these steps:

  1. Right-click a blank area of the Taskbar. Windows displays a Context menu.
  2. Choose Properties from the Context menu. Windows displays the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. The Taskbar tab should be displayed. (See Figure 2.)

    3. Figure 2. The Taskbar tab of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.

  3. Make sure the Group Similar Taskbar Buttons check box is cleared.
  4. Click OK.

Your individual workbook buttons should now be displayed, as desired, in Excel.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2905) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Wrapping Spaces

Add more than one space after the end of a sentence, and you may find that the extra spaces wrap to the start of new ...

Discover More

Easy Value Hiding

Want a quick and easy way to hide the information in a cell? You can do it with a simple three-character custom format.

Discover More

Setting Default Print Margins

Don't like the print margins that Excel uses by default? You can change the default by changing the workbook on which ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Defining a Name

One of the great features of Excel is that it allows you to use named ranges. These can make your formulas much easier to ...

Discover More

Selecting Tabs in Dialog Boxes

Want to move around in dialog boxes using just the keyboard? You'll love the ideas in this tip, then.

Discover More

Nifty Zooming

If you are using a mouse that has a center wheel, you can use the wheel to zoom in and out of your work. This tip shows ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 3 + 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.