Windows 10: Some but not all Excel workbooks appear in taskbar.

I have for example, five Excel workbooks open, four will appear in the taskbar when I hover over the Excel icon and one will not. This happens pretty much every day and with a wide variety of Excel files, not the same ones. I have not noticed the same issue with other programs but must admit I rarely would have multiple files open from other programs.

I have tried every option suggested on forums that I have read including unticking and reticking the box in Excel advanced options to 'show all windows in taskbar', also right clicking on the taskbar to 'never combine' (and although this is not really what I'm after, the workbook will not show in the taskbar either). None of these make any difference.

I have also tried opening the files from the open button, from the recently used files list and from the folder they are stored in but this makes no difference.

When I 'alt-tab through the open screens, the workbook that I cannot see from the taskbar will always show as the very last item after every other screen from every other program I have open, even when it is the last item I have looked at.

It's driving me mad as in my work I always have to switch back and forth between spreadsheets.
Can anyone help or has anyone else come across the same problem?

:)

 

Windows 10 and excel 2010 thumbnail preview.

In windows 7, If there was more than one excel workbook opened, I could hover my mouse over the excel icon in the taskbar and see all of the workbooks that are opened. Since the upgrade to windows 10, I am unable to see all the workbooks that are open whenever
I hover over the excel icon. If I have 3 workbooks opened, when I hover over the excel icon I see only two thumbnail previews but I have three workbooks opened, why is the third one not displayed.

I have tried going to File> Options> Advanced> Under the Display group unchecking and checking "Show all windows in the Taskbar."

 

Excel 2010 taskbar icons not displaying properly in Windows 10 taskbar (when an .xlsx and a .xlsm are open at the same time)

That is by default if you have grouped icons or grouped applications.

I don't think you understand what hydro01 pointed out. Maybe because it was a giant paragraph. Let me elaborate.

The "Combine taskbar buttons" option of the Taskbar Settings is set to "Never". So nothing should be grouped.

Under Excel 2010 -> Options -> Advanced -> Display, the "Show all windows in the Taskbar" is checked.

If you have multiple xlsx Excel workbooks open, you can see them all.

The issue is that if you have xlsx Excel workbook(s) and an xlsm Excel workbook open at the same time, you can only see the xlsm workbook. If you hold Alt+Tab, you'll see the xlsx workbook is small compared to the other icons.

This issue has still not been addressed as of October 1st, 2016.

 

"Just upgraded from windows 7 to windows 10 and have a similar problem. In my case, only the active excel window is displayed no matter how many excel files are open. 'Show all windows in the taskbar' is checked in Excel/options/advanced."

 

Welcome to Windows Ten Forums, ju severn and restexas.

Don't know why you're having the issue and I don't have Office installed on my 10, but have in 8.1. I also have not had that many Excel workbooks opened to know if perhaps there's a limit to the list set in Office or in 10. I worked more with seperate sheets in a workbook rather than separate workbooks. However, for now to keep you working without the distraction, could you open a separate instance of Excel and work with it that way? Somewhat of a PITA I know, but that may work for now until resolved.

 

"Opening a separate instance of excel worked. Thanks for the tip"

 

@restexas and @ju severn

You're welcome, restexas.

Here's what I've found for opening separate instances, which they recommend is the best way to work with different workbooks.

Opening workbooks by running separate instances of Excel - Office Blogs

 

I think that would work.. The problem seems to be the same whether I have two or twenty spreadsheets open and now my colleague has started complaining of the same issue - also on Windows 10, but my laptop started having the problem on windows 8 too.

It's a fix for the time being anyway - have sometimes done this so that I can see two workbooks open at the same time (I use two monitors) but I never thought about it for this instance. Thanks for the tip!

 

You're quite welcome. Glad to read that will work for you temporarily.

Retired now, But having owned a construction business I did a lot of work in Office programs for many a year so I know what you all go through.

I'm looking into resolving this. Not sure if it's 10, Office, or the combination of the two. Probably 10 being the culprit as it's new and I'm assuming it worked in previous OSs. Like I stated, though, I worked more with multiple sheets within a book and not various workbooks open within one instance of Excel.

I'll be sure to post anything I find. Please do the same?

Good luck to you both. Again, welcome to the forum. *Smile

 

Hello, I am having the same problem with Excel and so is my boss. Now we are not too clued up about excel and windows 10. Problems started when we moved over to windows 10. I have sometimes numerous workbooks open. have you find a solution for this problem yet? any advice is welcome. I did have a look at how to open 2 excel sheet in separate instances, but that link was for windows 8.. Thanks for any advice!

 

This is what I get when opening up 5 excel workbooks, one with the taskbar icons combined, the other without, is this where the problems lie (I am not a big excel user, usually one workbook at a time)

 

Hello, yfourie7443. Welcome to Windows Ten forums.

Thanks for that, Paul! This may finally solve this.

So one must set the Taskbar buttons to "Never combine" in Taskbar properties.

Right click Taskbar > Choose properties on the context menu > Choose "Never combine" > Click "Apply" > Close Properties. You may want to choose "Use small taskbar buttons" as well if things get crowded.

 

Here’s mine.

Office 2016 on 10





Office 2013 on 8.1

 

Thank you for your advise, unfortunately that doesn't solve the problem, as it doesn't always happens when I have more then 1 book open. I am not sure what triggers it, one moment I am working fine, next moment workbook is gone. Well at least it looks like it is gone, but if I make the one book small, inside the excel frame the other sheet is still there, jut behind the other book. I hope this explanation makes sense..
Thank you for your time and help!

 

You're welcome, yfourie7443. We're glad to be of help.

I know what you mean. You get a 3D cascading thumbnail arrangement such as below. Yours are not stacked as I've shown previously. I'll have to do more research and ask friends on this. In the mean time, please post your Office edition(s) and 10 edition(s) (Pro, Home, etc.).