Please Help =}

[ntraini]

I am having a challenge with excel - the spreadsheets are still
useable, but I can not get my cursor into the cells without using the
arrow keys. (when I try to use the mouse, a thick + shows up, this
used to be an arrow which would allow me to work within a cell. I
don't recall doing anything to my keyboard or changing any settings.
I have checked over the preferences for excel and everything looks
"normal"...but...I just know somebody has to have had this happen.
Please help!

Thank you!

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

I am having a challenge with excel - the spreadsheets are still
useable, but I can not get my cursor into the cells without using the
arrow keys. (when I try to use the mouse, a thick + shows up, this
used to be an arrow which would allow me to work within a cell. I
don't recall doing anything to my keyboard or changing any settings.
I have checked over the preferences for excel and everything looks
"normal"...but...I just know somebody has to have had this happen.
Please help!

Thank you!

The cursor IS a thick +. Try double clicking the cell to edit the cell. If
you are talking about seeing the edit cursor within the cell, go to excel
preferences, Edit Tab and make sure edit directly in cell is checked.

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm honestly not sure I understand your question Partly because what you
describe as normal behavior, isn't.

The normal appearance of the mouse pointer in Excel when in the Ready, Enter
or Edit mode (as indicated on the left end of the Status Bar) *is* a bold
white cross (plus sign) with which you can click a cell to select it or drag
to select multiple cells. The cross changes to a white arrow if you position
the pointer on the edge of a cell & indicates that you can "drag & drop" the
cell to another location rather than drag to select. If in Edit or Enter
mode & the pointer is on the active cell the pointer turns into an I-beam
such as you would have in Word or other text-editing situations.

Likewise, arrow keys move the cell selector from one cell to the next & have
nothing to do with getting a "cursor into the cells" - the cursor ( flashing
vertical bar, similar to: | ) only appears once you are in Edit or Enter
mode (start to type, double-click the cell, etc.). Also, if in Edit mode the
arrows allow movement of the | one character at a time until you get to end
of the cell's content. In Enter or Ready mode they work the same as
Return/Enter or Tab.

Can you provide a more detailed & accurate description of the problem? What
are you able/not able to do? It might also be helpful to know what version
of Excel you're using.