View multiple Powerpoint Presentations at the same time

I have two Powerpoint presentations to open at the same time. I can only see one or the other, or if I have many open I can only see 1 at a time but in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen it shows the preview boxes with file names for all the Powerpoints. How can I see more than one Powerpoint presentation at a time. I think I may have had the same issue with Excel. Anyone have an idea how to break them apart. I tried holding down shift and clicking the icon, it does make a new Powerpoint but it's still only allowing me to view one at a time.

Thanks!

So far the best solution to this is from another forum, but to me this is just a work around.


OK -- it can be done, but it's kludgy.

Kludge follows:

1) Create another Windows XP account to use.

2) Use the shell command RUNAS to run the other instance of PowerPoint under the other account.

Example: having created a special account "Dad", when logged in as "BW", and already running PowerPoint, use [Start] [Run...] CMD, and then enter a command similar to:

C:\> runas /user:dad "c:\program files\microsoft office\office11\POWERPNT.EXE"

Voila! Another instance of PowerPoint.

Pro: you get another instance of PowerPoint.

Con: it's running under the other account, so will save files to the My Documents folder, etc. of that other account. But that could be overcome by changing the MS Office folders locations of where the Dad account saves its files. You need never actually log in to Dad through the front end of Windows XP.

You can make a batch file with a shortcut if you like, so it's as easy as clicking an icon called "Second PowerPoint".

I haven't used this for lengthy periods of time, but essentially, you're doing what is done under Windows Server, etc. with the same version of MS Office. The two instances should be well enough behaved, but in good AskMeFi style, I must point out YMMV.
posted by blue_wardrobe at 4:19 PM on September 24, 2006 [4 favorites has favorites]

I know on my dual monitor set up at work--and using XP as the OS there, I can get side by sides on excel by opening another instance of excel via the start button and then dragging it over to the 2d mon.

I will probably obtain a 2d mon for the home here in a few weeks---will be interested to play around with stuff and see what can be done..

Pretty much does the job:

For PowerPoint 2007 - On the View tab of the ribbon, in the Window section, click on the Arrange All button.

View Two Presentations at the Same Time - Compare Two PowerPoint Presentations

I was going to DL openoffice and run the 2nd presentation in that to overcome the problem but no longer necessary :)

Another work-around that I have found useful: Print the presentation(s) as a .pdf and open them separately.

The registry hack below should work for office 2007 with windows 7.
I changed registry entries for the key below by replacing "%1" with /dde for both 'default' and 'command' values enabled me to open two different instances

HKCL\PowerPoint.Show.12\shell\Open\command