When working with spreadsheets that have more than one worksheet or data that spreads over many columns it can be helpful to have more than one version of the same file open.
This allows you to compare large datasets side by side, or make changes on one worksheet and immediately see the impact of those changes on another worksheet.
You can do this in Excel by creating new windows of the same workbook using the New Window feature.
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Finding the New Window Feature
The New Window feature is located on the View tab.
Once you click on New Window a second window of your current Excel file will open. You will be able to see a number at the end of the workbook title showing you which window of the file it is.
You can open more than one new window by clicking New Window multiple times.
Change Between Windows
When you have more than one window open you can move between them by using the Ctrl + Tab keys.
You can also go to the View tab and select the Switch Windows button, this will give you a drop down showing all open windows (including any other open Excel files), with the version you are viewing having a tick next to it, and the option to select and move to another window.
Display More Than One Window on a Screen
1.    Drag Window To Side Of Screen
If you are working on two screens you can move one window to another screen by dragging it to the other screen. This will allow you to see both windows in full, one on each screen.
If you are working with one screen and want to see both windows side by side you can drag one Excel window to the side of the screen.
This will snap fill exactly half of the screen. The other half of the screen will then display a thumbnail of other open applications. Select the other open Excel window to have it fill the other half of the screen.
You will then see each window side by side on the same screen.
2.    Arrange All
If you have one or more new window you can go to the View tab and select Arrange All.
This will open up a new window that allows you to select how you want your Excel windows to be arranged.
3.    View Side by Side
In the View tab you can also select View Side by Side.
When you have selected the View Side by Side option, by default it may arrange the windows on top of each other.
If you want them laid out in a different way once this option has been selected then you can manually resize or move the windows so they are horizontally side by side
Synchronous Scrolling
One of the benefits of using View Side by Side is that it gives you the opportunity to synchronize scrolling between windows by using the Synchronous Scrolling button.
Unless you have selected View Side by Side the Synchronous Scrolling button will be greyed out and you will not be able to select it.
Once you have selected this option both windows will simultaneously scroll when you move the scroll bar on one window.
Impact of a New Window
When you create a new window the second window is a new view of the same workbook, not a duplicate of the existing view.
This means that the second window will remove any frozen panes, and if you had removed gridlines then these will not be removed on the second window.
If you want to have the same panes frozen or gridlines removed from the second window you will need to reapply these.
This flexibility allows you to customize each window independently, so if you wanted you can have different sections of the same workbook visible in each window and freeze the panes at different points.
Once you have created a new window you can only make changes to one at a time, known as the active window, but certain changes will immediately reflect in any other window, like typing in new values.
Practical Example
One of the most useful ways to use New Window is to be able to immediately see the impact of any changes to assumptions on calculations on other worksheets.
When building large or complex spreadsheet it is common to have an assumptions worksheet which drives calculations on other worksheets.
In this example there is an Output worksheet showing the amount of five products, and that tax amount is linked to a percentage on the Assumptions worksheet.
If you were not using the New Window feature then you would only be able to see the product information or assumptions at one time on the screen.
By creating a new window you can now see both at the same time, and when you make changes to the tax assumption in the second window you can immediately see the impact it has on the tax values.
Closing New Windows
You can close any open window by clicking the X symbol in the top right hand corner of the workbook. As you are only closing a window and not the whole workbook you will not be asked to save if you have made any changes and the numbers in the title of your workbook will go.
If you close all windows you will be prompted to save your changes when closing the last window, as this will close the workbook.
The windows can be closed in any order, but as the second window was a new version of the original, if you want to keep the views you had originally, such as gridlines removed or panes frozen, it would be best to close the second window to keep these in place.
Conclusion
Using the New Window feature in Excel allows you to open up multiple windows of one file, so you can view and work on different parts of the same workbook at the same time without needing to switch back and forth between worksheets or sections.
This can be useful for comparing data, copying information across sheets, or when working on large, complex workbooks that have assumptions on one worksheet and outputs on another.Â
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