Excel 2007 - paintbrush icon stuck on screen after insert

[Gerry Hickman]

Hi,

A new user reported this. I thought they must be doing something wrong,
but now I see it on my own system.

Vista SP1
Office 2007 SP1 (all defaults)

1. Start with a new sheet
2. Enter data into the three rows (rows 1,2,3)
3. Format that data as bold
4. Insert a new row at position 2

A paintbrush icon appears on screen just below the row I've inserted,
pressing escape does not get rid of it.

The new user found this annoying, and I agree. I also don't know why
it's a picture of a paintbrush when it's for "insert options".

Any way to get rid of it without changing global options?

 

[pub]

Hi,

A new user reported this. I thought they must be doing something wrong,
but now I see it on my own system.

Vista SP1
Office 2007 SP1 (all defaults)

1. Start with a new sheet
2. Enter data into the three rows (rows 1,2,3)
3. Format that data as bold
4. Insert a new row at position 2

A paintbrush icon appears on screen just below the row I've inserted,
pressing escape does not get rid of it.

The new user found this annoying, and I agree. I also don't know why
it's a picture of a paintbrush when it's for "insert options".

Any way to get rid of it without changing global options?

lol its a "feature", but i turned mine off

- click your office button (for new office user reading htis, its the big
circle icon with 4 squares on top left)
- click excel options (bottom right of window)
- click advanced
- uncheck the box that say "Show Insert Options buttons"
then test it again.

you can turn off the other annoying new features while you are there.

 

[Gord Dibben]

I also don't know why
it's a picture of a paintbrush when it's for "insert options".

When you "insert" do you want to "format same as above", "format same as below",
"clear formatting".

Sounds like a format paintbrush job to me.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Gerry Hickman]

Hi Gord,

When you "insert" do you want to "format same as above", "format same as below",
"clear formatting".

Sounds like a format paintbrush job to me.

OK, but why does it get stuck on the screen? The normal "format painter"
brush can be turned off by pressing escape.

 

[Gerry Hickman]

Hi Pub,

OK, I can disable these features globally, but I was hoping for the
"paste" behavior where you can get rid of the little paste icon if you
don't want it.

 

[Gerry Hickman]

- click excel options (bottom right of window)
- click advanced

Hehe, it shows just how dumbed down Excel has become, this is what
Microsoft call "Advanced" these days!

 

[pub]

Hi Pub,

OK, I can disable these features globally, but I was hoping for the
"paste" behavior where you can get rid of the little paste icon if you
don't want it.

globally is the best way
the other ways are
after you insert the row and the brush appears
if you are a mouse user (like me)
- just click in the formula bar real quick
- then click out, and it will go away

if you are a keyboard user
-type in a random number or letter
-hit backspace
-hit enter

thats the best i can do

 

[Gerry Hickman]

Hi,

When you "insert" do you want to "format same as above", "format same as below",
"clear formatting".

I can see the logic of waiting for user input if you try to insert new
rows into the middle of a formatted selection, but the user basically
wants to be able to insert blank rows after a formatted selection.

I tested on my system, and if I insert the rows immediately after the
formatted selection (ie first blank row), I still get the paintbrush.

 

[Gord Dibben]

I don't have 2007 but with 2003 I would go to Tools>Options>Edit and disable the
"Show paste Options buttons" and the "Show Insert Options Buttons"

I don't like either of them, along with "error checking" indicator.

Gord