# Can I view 2 documents at one time in Word?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 26, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558 "2007-09-26T15:56:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lagavulin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@Lagavulin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagavulin)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558/1 "2007-09-26T15:56:28Z")

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I have Microsoft Word Office XP. I’d like to be able to see, simultaneously, two documents that I’m currently working on, rather than switching back and forth between screens. Can I do this?

Many thanks

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**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558/2 "2007-09-26T16:09:24Z")

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Window \> Arrange or Window \> Compare side by side

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**Author:** ![Lagavulin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@Lagavulin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagavulin)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558/3 "2007-09-26T18:37:06Z")

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Thanks! It seems I don’t have the ‘side by side’ option - only ‘arrange all’, so that I see them one below the other. Not really what I was hoping for, but better than nothing. Thanks for your help.

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**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558/4 "2007-09-26T18:40:35Z")

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Could you just open the program twice, adjust one window to fit the left half of your screen and the other to fill the right half of your screen?

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558/5 "2007-09-26T19:51:40Z")

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Open the two files.  
Choose the Window menu tab then Arrange All.  
The two opened files will both display in separate windows. You can move them around, because they are windowed. Move them side by side, if thats how you want to view them.

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**Author:** ![Lagavulin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@Lagavulin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagavulin)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-view-2-documents-at-one-time-in-word/420558/6 "2007-09-26T22:18:17Z")

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Hampshire and Harmonious Discord - that’s exactly the result I wanted! And I’m feeling pretty thick right now because, now that you’ve explained it, it’s quite obvious!

Thanks!