New
#21
Same Issue
We just upgraded out Windows 7 PCs at work and I have hit this same wall. I use Excel daily and usually have at least to separate windows/instances of Excel open at one time so I can copy information from on sheet to the next. The day after the upgrade I noticed all my taskbar items were once again grouped. So I had ungrouped them again. Once I did that it seemed ok until I needed to open another set of Excel files. Now they were grouped but no longer visible. The only way I could see all opened Excel files was to use the Task View button (which I hate and slows everything way down). I want to click once between the files not 2 or three times to switch files! Hovering over the file only shows the one file all others are open but hidden until clicking TASK VIEW.
So I made sure the Task Bar was set for NEVER again. Restarted all my programs and this worked for the rest of the day. Came back the next morning and we are back to only seeing one instance and the others requiring TASK VIEW to see/open them.
Task Bar settings are still set to NEVER combine. Excel's advanced options are set to SHOW ALL (tried unchecking/rechecking this to no avail). Have tried repairing Office (this is Office 2010) and rebooting the system again. Still hiding the additional excel files behind the one active file.
I always open my excel files by double clicking from their folders. Tried opening one then the other via OPEN files. Still the same issue.
I was able to finally get both my files open in two tabs/buttons on the task bar by opening one (w/double click) then right clicking on the button on the task bar and clicking Microsoft Excel 2010 then opening the other file in that new instance of Excel.
This is not a sustainable way for me to continue to do my job on a daily basis I will continue to try and find a fix as this is not only happening to me but other employees are experiencing similar issues and as we continue to finally transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10 I am going to get a ton of calls from co-workers to fix this problem on their PCs as well.
I don't have this issue with any other program (multiple browser windows, multiple Word Docs, Multiple anything except EXCEL). If this is simply a task bar issue, it appears to only be associated with Excel.
To sum up, none of the suggestions in the earlier posts work. Issue stems from a Windows 10 upgrade. Only appears to happen with Excel files. PC settings show that the task bar is set NEVER to combine. Excel doesn't combine rather hides the other open files.