Every cell is highlighted

[Guest]

This is a new one for me. Afer opening up Excel '98 and go to a cell, every
cell is highlighted when I move the mouse. I can not put any information in
any cell. The only way to quit Excel is control, alt, delete and then it
gives me "can not quit excel". It does though after a while. Wherever I
move the mouse, the cells are highlighted. What gives?

Thanks

 

[Don Guillett]

f8 key

 

[Gord Dibben]

A common cause of this is that you are in "Extended" or "Add" mode.

If you see "EXT" or "ADD" down on the status bar try hitting F8 key a couple
of times.

F8 will will toggle you in and out of Extended mode. SHIFT + F8 will put you
in "ADD" mode.

With the "ADD" mode you need to re-click the mouse. This is used to select
non-contiguous cells and ranges without using the CTRL key.

With the "EXT" mode you just click once and drag. All cells will be selected.

If you are using a wheel-mouse tap the wheel a couple times.

Also see David McRitchie's "Ghosting" at

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/ghosting.txt


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Guest]

what does the f8 key do?

f8 key

 

[Guest]

I have this same problem. F8 does nothing for me. There is no EXT or ADD at
the bottom of the spreadsheet. It only happens on my laptop and not on my
desktop.

It's killin' me. Everytime it happens, I lose any data I've keyed and not
saved.

 

[Ragdyer]

Then join the crowd of those who have also been plagued by this "anomaly".

Check out this link of David McRitchie:

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/ghosting.txt