Excel.Tips.Net Welcome toExcel.Tips.Net

Helpful Links

Tips.Net Home
ExcelTips Home
Ask an Excel Question
Make a Comment

Tips.Net Store

ExcelTips FAQ
ExcelTips Premium

Learn Access Now
Free Printable Forms

Beauty Tips
Car Tips
Cleaning Tips
College Tips
Cooking Tips
Excel2007 Tips
ExcelTips
Family Tips
Gardening Tips
Health Tips
Home Tips
Legal Tips
Money Tips
Organizing Tips
Pest Tips
Pet Tips
Wedding Tips
Word2007 Tips
WordTips

Advertise on the
ExcelTips Site

Newest Tips

Removing Borders

Converting to Octal

Filtering Columns for Unique Values

Printing Multiple Worksheets on a Single Page

Changing the Default Font

Creating a Drawing Object

Determining a Value of a Cell

 

Cell Movement After Enter

Summary: What happens when you press Enter in a cell depends on how you have Excel configured. Here's the way you can control the action Excel takes. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

When you enter information in a cell, and then press the Enter key, Excel normally moves to the cell below the one in which you entered the information. You can configure Excel to move in a different direction after pressing Enter by following these steps:

  1. Click the Office button and then click Excel Options. Excel displays the Excel Options dialog box.
  2. At the left of the dialog box click Advanced. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. Make sure the Move Selection After Enter check box is selected.
  4. Use the Direction drop-down list to specify the direction that Excel should move.
  5. Click OK.

If you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007, follow these steps instead:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the Edit tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
  3. Make sure the Move Selection After Enter check box is selected.
  4. Use the Direction drop-down list to specify the direction that Excel should move.
  5. Click OK.

There is one interesting thing about how Excel selects a new cell: If you press Shift+Enter (instead of Enter) when entering data, then Excel selects the cell in the opposite direction of what you have specified in step 4. Thus, if the Direction drop-down list is set to Down, and you press Shift+Enter, then Excel actually moves the selection upwards.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2096) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Step Up and Take Control! Subscribers to ExcelTips know just how valuable a resource it is. ExcelTips Premium provides twice the number of exceptional, easy-to-understand tips every week in an ad-free newsletter, as well as substantial discounts on ExcelTips archives and e-books.
 
Check out ExcelTips Premium today!