How do I make an Office 2013/2016 application run in separate process on Microsoft Windows?

Question

I am developing a Excel plugin. It works all right for Excel versions before 2013. But a lot of features is broken when it runs against Excel 2013. I found the root cause is all windows are running in only one process in Excel 2013. Even if user explicitly launch a new window by double-clicking the shortcut on the desktop or by clicking the item in the start menu, no new process is created. This results in the status conflict between processes. Status bar and ribbon is shared. For instance, when I update the status bar information in one window, the other windows' are also updated. When I check/uncheck a ribbon button in one window, the other windows' buttons are also checked/unchecked. I think a possible solution is to change some configurations to make it work as before. But I found nothing relevant by searching on google.

Does anyone know how to make it or is there any other solution?

Solution

With Excel 2013, the default you have is to create a new window within the existing Excel process. In order to force the creation of a separate instance of the Excel process, you have these options:

Option 1

From the command prompt, run EXCEL /X and you will open Excel window as a new instance. The /X command switch forces the creation of a new instance.

Option 2

1. Right click on the Excel icon in Windows taskbar
2. Go down to where it lists the application
3. Hold down the ALT key on the keyboard and click "Excel 2013/2016"
4. It should give you this prompt, "Do you want to start a new instance of Excel?"
5. Click "Yes!"

Option 3

Use this technique to open an existing document directly:

1. Hold down Alt.
2. Right click Excel file.
3. Click Open.
4. Continue holding down Alt until the "Do you want to start a new instance of Excel" dialogue pops up.
5. Click Yes.

For more detail,please visit: http://sqlblog.com/blogs/marco_russo/archive/2012/07/24/running-excel-2013-in-a-separate-instance-excel-powerpivot.aspx