Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Slowing Down Mouse Selection.

Slowing Down Mouse Selection

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 27, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


You may have noticed that it is sometimes difficult to select quite a few cells when you are using the mouse. As you move the mouse past the bottom of the screen, the rows may zip by too fast to select them. Move the mouse back up to the top of the screen, and the rows zip by in the opposite direction.

It may sound trite, but one of the most common solutions to this problem is to use the keyboard in conjunction with the mouse to do your selecting. The easiest way to do this is by clicking the cell at the start of your selection and then holding down the Shift key while you click where you want the selection to end.

However, if you don't want to use the keyboard and only rely on the mouse, your options are a bit more limited. Perhaps the best idea is to get a new mouse. A mouse that has a scroll wheel between the buttons comes in handy; you can use the wheel to scroll at a much slower rate.

Barring either of these solutions you may be able to fine-tune your use of the mouse when scrolling. Excel actually includes two scrolling speeds. To use the slower speed when selecting cells, move the mouse down to where the worksheet tabs appear. This scrolls downward at a relatively moderate speed. Moving the mouse below the worksheet tabs sends the scrolling into full-speed mode. The "moderate speed" zone for scrolling upward is the column indicators (A, B, C, etc.), and the high-speed zone is above that. The actual differences between these scroll speeds depends on the speed of your computer and how many other tasks your system is running.

The final option to try is to slow down the mouse speed using Windows itself. If you are using Windows XP, just click the Start button and choose Control Panel from the Start menu. What you do from that point depends on how you have the Control Panel configured.

If you are viewing the Control Panel in Category view, you'll see a message that says "Pick a Category." Follow these steps:

  1. Click the Printers and Other Hardware link.
  2. Click the Mouse link.

If you are viewing the Control Panel in Classic view, you'll see icons for the various applets available in the Control Panel. Double-click the Mouse applet.

Regardless of the Control Panel view you are using, at this point you should be viewing the Mouse Properties dialog box. Make sure the Motion tab or the Pointer Options tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Mouse Properties dialog box.

Adjust the mouse's Speed setting so it is more toward the Slow (left) side, then click OK. You may need to play with the setting a bit so that you get just the speed you want.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2422) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Slowing Down Mouse Selection.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Checking for Text

Need to figure out if a particular cell contains text? You can use the ISTEXT function to easily return this bit of trivia.

Discover More

Changing the Default File Name

When you first save a new file, Word bases the name of that file on the contents of the start of the first paragraph in ...

Discover More

Symbols in Words Added to the Dictionary

Adding special characters to otherwise normal words, such as a company name, may be necessary. However, this could affect ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Finding the Number of Significant Digits

When looking at a number, you may wonder how many significant digits it contains. The answer is not always an easy one, ...

Discover More

Counting the Times a Worksheet is Used

Do you need to know how many times a worksheet has been used? Excel doesn't track that information, but you can develop ...

Discover More

Forcing Stubborn Recalculation

Have you ever recalculated a worksheet, only to notice that not everything calculated as it should? Here's a way you can ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five more than 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.