Excel: If I open two windows on the same workbook, why do macros stop working in the first window? - vba

Question

I am trying to set up a button in Excel to show a dual view of two separate worksheets at the same time. This is the code I've written so far (see below). So far the code seems to work. The problem is that the top window has some activex controls on the worksheet, and they seem to stop working until the bottom window is closed again. Why is this happening, and what can I do to fix it? Thanks.
Private Sub DualViewButton_Click()
Dim windowToPutOnTimeline As Window
If Windows.Count = 1 Then
ThisWorkbook.NewWindow
Windows.Arrange xlArrangeStyleHorizontal, True, False, False
Set windowToPutOnTimeline = Windows(1)
If Windows(1).Top < Windows(2).Top Then
Set windowToPutOnTimeline = Windows(2)
End If
With windowToPutOnTimeline
.Activate
HorizontalTimelineSheet.Activate
.DisplayGridlines = False
.DisplayRuler = False
.DisplayHeadings = False
.DisplayWorkbookTabs = False
'.EnableResize = False
End With
Windows(2).Activate 'go back to the right focus the user expects.
Else
If Windows(1).Top = Windows(2).Top Then
Windows.Arrange xlArrangeStyleHorizontal, True, False, False
Else
Windows.Arrange xlArrangeStyleVertical, True, False, False
End If
End If
End Sub
EDIT: if I switch the window that's being assigned to windowToPutOnTimeline then the problem goes away. So I've essentially worked around the problem without knowing why it works the other way. (see code snippet below)
With ThisWorkbook
Set windowToPutOnTimeline = .Windows(1)
Set windowToPutOnDataSheet = .Windows(2)
tmp = .Windows(1).Top
.Windows(1).Top = .Windows(2).Top
.Windows(2).Top = tmp
End With

Answer 1

This behavior is a bug in ActiveX control.
As a work around, use a button from the Forms Controls, rather than an ActiveX button
Using the Forms button you will need to add a Module, declare a Sub with your code and assign the Sub as the action macro to your button (as apposed to putting your code in the click event of an ActiveX button)
I tried this on Excel 2007, seem to work OK - the button appears and works on both windows