Closing multiple Excel windows

Question

Closing multiple Excel windows

CJ 0

Is there a fix for closing multiple open windows in Excel at once? Old Excel I could right click the taskbar icon, select close all windows and bingo bango, all the windows would close! Now it just closes 1 window at a time.

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Answer 1

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Currently, there is no built-in feature in Excel that allows you to close multiple open windows at once directly from the taskbar like in older versions. In Excel 2013 and later, when you right-click the taskbar icon, it typically only allows you to close the active window.

To close multiple Excel windows, you would need to close them one at a time manually. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Alt + F4 to close the active window quickly, but this still requires you to switch to each window individually.

If you are looking for a more efficient way to manage multiple Excel windows, consider using the Task Manager to end the Excel process, which will close all instances of Excel at once. However, be cautious as this will close all open workbooks without saving any unsaved changes.

CJ 0 Reputation points

2025-12-23T11:48:02.3366667+00:00

I have used the task manager for this purpose, my issue is that I shouldn't have to as the program should be at least equal to, but preferably better than, the old versions.

Answer 2

Hello @CJ

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Community!

Thank you for contacting us regarding the ability to close multiple Excel windows simultaneously. In previous versions of Excel, this could be achieved by right-clicking the Excel icon on the Windows taskbar and selecting the option to close all windows.

As I tested on my side with the latest Excel build (Version 2511), this functionality is available again. If you do not see this option, please follow the steps below:

Ensure that both Excel and Windows are fully updated. Updates often restore or improve features, including this one.
If updating does not resolve the issue, you can repair Excel by navigating to: Control Panel > Programs > Microsoft Office > Change > Quick Repair. For Windows 10 and 11, try following the steps in this article Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

To assist you further, I kindly request that you provide a screenshot showing what appears when you right-click the Excel icon on your Windows taskbar. This will help me confirm whether the option to close all windows is visible in your version.

Your feedback is very important to us. Please share your suggestion through the Excel Feedback Portal or directly on Excel by going to File, then Feedback, then Make a Suggestion. This ensures that our development team is aware of your request and can consider it for future improvements.

Please let me know if you require detailed instructions for any of these steps. I look forward to your response.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

CJ 0 Reputation points

2025-12-23T11:45:14.6233333+00:00

Hi,

I've updated to 2512 and it didn't work, I then ran the quick repair and it still doesn't work. The option to close all windows comes up (and did before) but only the window onscreen closes. The screenshot has the Excel windows minimised for privacy.
Phoebe-N 7,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-23T13:58:48.5433333+00:00

Hello @CJ

Thank you for confirming the behavior and sharing the screenshot. Since the option to Close all windows appears but does not function correctly, this may be related to the Windows operating system rather than Excel itself. Please follow the steps below to troubleshoot:

Update Windows to the Latest Version

Ensure that your Windows operating system is fully updated. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then select Check for updates and install any available updates.

If you are already on the latest version and the issue persists, try rolling back to a previous version of Windows. This can be done through Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Go back to the previous version of Windows.

Run System File Checker (SFC Scan)

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

Wait for the scan to complete and follow any instructions provided to repair system files.

For reference: Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files - Microsoft Support

Create a New Windows User Profile

Sometimes profile corruption can cause unexpected behavior. Create a new user profile and test Excel under that profile:

Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add someone else to this PC.

Create a new account and sign in to test the functionality.

For reference: Manage User Accounts in Windows - Microsoft Support

If the issue persists after these steps, please share the results with me so I can continue assisting you.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience throughout the process.

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Closing multiple Excel windows

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