Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Creating New Windows.

Creating New Windows

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 28, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


If you want to work on two different parts of the same workbook at the same time, there are a couple of different ways you can do so. One way is to open a second window. You do this by simply choosing New Window from the Window. Excel opens a new window. You can then use each window to display and edit different parts of the same workbook.

Notice that each new window you create has not only the workbook name in the title bar, but also a number that indicates the actual window number. Thus, you could have Book1:1 and Book1:2. These are the same way that the window names appear at the bottom of the Window menu and on the Task bar.

Each window created in this way just provides a different way to look at the exact same workbook. This means that any change you make in one window is automatically and immediately made in the other window as well.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3353) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Creating New Windows.

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. ...

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