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: Odd Arrow Key Behavior.

Odd Arrow Key Behavior

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 21, 2022)

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If you are ever using Excel and the arrow keys don't work like you think they should, it could be because of the Scroll Lock key. Normally, when you press an arrow key, Excel moves the cell highlight in the direction of the key you pressed. If the Scroll Lock key has been activated, however, Excel doesn't move the cell highlight, it instead moves the worksheet, changing what is displayed on the screen.

To solve this odd behavior, simply press on the Scroll Lock key another time. The arrow keys should again behave as you expect them to.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2072) 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: Odd Arrow Key Behavior.

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. ...

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What is five minus 2?

2018-08-01 03:10:53

Slawomir

It was Scroll Lock key. By the way switching this variable on/off is very useful.


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