Having multiple Blender files open at once can be a bit of a pain, but don’t worry, you can easily do it!
There are a few ways you can do this, but the easiest is to create a shortcut and use that shortcut to open each file individually. This will help prevent the possibility of accidentally closing the wrong one.
First you will need to download the correct version of blender for your machine. This will usually be the latest stable version of the program. You can also check out the Blender website to find a version that’s compatible with your operating system.
After you’ve downloaded the version that you need, create a symbolic link from the config folder to the version number folder inside your newly extracted Blender file using the Link Shell Extension. Then start the new version from the shortcut created.
Another way to accomplish the same thing is to package everything you need into a single file. This can be done via the File menu by selecting External Data and then Pack All Into.blend – this is the most comprehensive approach but it does consume resources, so it’s not for everyone.
You can also unpack the contents of a packaged *.blend file, removing the original pack and replacing it with any assets that are available (assumes the same ‘pathtoasset[file.*]). Depending on the complexities of your project and the availability of any of the assets included, this process can save significant time and energy, though for larger projects it may not be practical or even possible.
The foxy thing about this is it doesn’t actually require a shell command or any extra software, as it’s all done inside of Blender itself!
You can also do the same with a combination of a shortcut and some clever command line work. This will allow you to open two separate files with a single instance of Blender, but the only downside is that you won’t be able to access the scene windows simultaneously.