Symptoms

Assume that you open two workbooks that have different content in Microsoft Excel 2010. When you press Alt+Tab to switch between the two workbooks, overlapping content is displayed in the main windows of Excel 2010.Note This issue occurs when you run Excel 2010 on a computer that is running Windows 7 and that has the Aero feature enabled.

Workaround

To work around this issue, first turn off the Enable desktop composition option in Windows 7. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties in the menu.

  2. Click the Advanced system settings option in the left of the window.

  3. Under the Advanced tab of System Properties window, click Settings in the Performance group.

  4. Select the Custom option in the Performance Options window.

  5. Clear the Enable desktop composition check box.

  6. Click Apply, and then click OK.

  7. In the System Properties window, click OK.

After you turn off the Enable desktop composition option, use one of the following methods to avoid the issue:

  • Switch between workbooks by pressing Alt+Tab slowly.

  • Switch between workbooks by using the Windows 7 taskbar.

  • Switch between workbooks by using the Switch Windows button in the View ribbon of Excel 2010.

Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.