Strange Excel Problem

[Jon]

Hi All,

 

Just came across a strange problem with excel. If I open any worksheet and click to select a cell I then can't deselect it! If I move the mouse around it is as if I am holding down the mouse button and simply selects any cells i drag over.

 

The only way out is to right click on the task bar button and close the worksheet altogether.

 

Anybody had this problem or know what might be causing it?

 

Thanks in advance.

[NetworkGeezer]

You may have Stick Keys enabled or is one of the shift keys stuck?

[plexer]

sticky shift button?

 

hit the windows key several times.

 

Ben

[Jon]

Thanks for the quick answers thats great.

 

The problem is not with the shift keys or sticky keys i'm afraid. This was my first guess but all is OK.

 

After I have clicked into a cell I then can't do anything else in that sheet. No menus can be selected or close windows buttons either.

 

The only way out is to close excel from the taskbar.,

[TechMonkey]

along the same lines as the other suggestions I'm afraid but try bashing all the shift, ctrl and windows keys repeatedly but seperately. We get this sometimes on kids machines so a security error pops up as it thinks the Windows key is held down.

[Jon]

The machine this is happening on is the secretarys Laptop. The version of excel is office xp (2002).

 

There is no problem with the sticky keys feature or keys being jammed down. I have disabled the touch pad and connected an external mouse but the problem is still there.

 

No other programme or feature seems to be affected. 8O

 

I think I will reinstall excel and see if the cures to problem

[CESIL]

Have you looked at the ClickLock setting under mouse properties in control panel?

 

Turning this on with a shortest possible delay gives the effect you are seeing.

[Jon]

Thanks cadjs

 

Clicklock would indeed have this effect...But it would also release when the mouse was clicked again :?

 

The only way i can do anything is to move the pointer outside of the excel window, I can then right click on the taskbar and close excel

[NetworkGeezer]

Go into Tools then Options then Edit tab and untick the Weird Stuff check box

 

Seriously, rather than a full reinstall try the Office Detect and Repair optio n from Add and Remove Applications in Control Panel.

[CESIL]

Ok then, how about pressing F8

 

This turns on/off extended select mode and does something like you describe...although the cell can be deselected by clicking

 

Maybe Excel is stuck in this mode...?

[CESIL]

Have a look at http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6129_102-0.html?forumID=29&threadID=111901&messageID=1271506

 

There are some interesting ideas there

[CHR1S]

I had this happen to me once before, I did a reinstall and it worked fine but never did find out why.

[Jon]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

 

I won't be back in the school untill Monday, I will let you know how I get on

[bazra55]

Hi

I'm having the same problem but with Excel 2003, where sticky keys appear to be turned on, whether they are or not. This only happens from Excel, if you use any other office 2003 program, or anything else within windows it fine. I've tried restarting, reinstalled office, tried this as different user's but this has not fixed the issue.

[elsiegee40]

Have you tried giving the secretary a different keyboard and if that doesn't work, tried swapping the mouse?

 

The last time I had similar problems, the keyboard got tipped upside down and received a good shake. Once the crumbs from several years of lunches had been removed along with a few staples, it worked much better!