I'm using SPSS Statistics 26 on a MacBook running Catalina 10.15.7. Until I updated to 26, I was running 25 or 25, and had no issues. However, after updating, I am no longer able to open multiple SPSS files at a time through Finder or from Desktop. For example, if I have an .sav, .sps, or .spv file open already, when I double click another file to open, it fails to do so. In order to open another file, I have to close the first, exiting out of SPSS, and then I can successfully launch a second file. Without being able to have multiple files open at the same time to compare and needing to close and open SPSS entirely and work with one file at a time only, my productivity with this software is limited. I have tried solving this issue by using SPSS Statistics Authorization Wizard to renew my software license, I have made sure that the "open only one dataset at a time" box in Preferences is NOT checked, and I have quit the program and restarted my computer, to no avail. I would appreciate some technical assistance with this problem.

Double clicking a sav file, at least, from the Finder should launch a separate SPSS Statistics session containing that file rather than opening it in the current session. You should be able to open multiple files from the File menu within Statistics.

Hi Jon, thanks for your response.

Unfortunately that's precisely the problem--when I used to double-click a file in finder, it would launch a new SPSS session, and I could have multiple open at once. Now, if one is already open, double-clicking a second file in Finder does nothing, regardless of whether it's a sav, spv, or sps file.

But what about opening the files from the Statistics File menu instead of the Finder? (Caveat: I am not a Mac person.)