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: Specifying Location for a Message Box.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 7, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Leonard wonders if, when displaying a message box in a macro, there is a way to force the box to appear at a specific location on the screen.
There is no way to do this, as the MsgBox function doesn't include any way to specify a location. Instead, Excel displays the message box centered on the screen. If you need the capability to position the box, then the easiest solution is to rely upon the InputBox function:
sName = InputBox(Prompt:="Enter your name", XPos:=2880, YPos:=1440)
Note that you can specify both an X position and a Y position for the upper-left corner of the box. The values assigned to these parameters are measured from the top-left corner of the screen, and are specified in twips. (There are 1440 twips to an inch.)
An input box does, of course, expect the user to provide input, whereas a message box does not. If you don't want to potentially confuse your users by soliciting input when none is really needed, then you'll need to create a UserForm to simulate a message box.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10028) 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: Specifying Location for a Message Box.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
Requiring users to input a password in Excel increases the security of the worksheet and can prevent someone from running ...
Discover MoreMacros are a great way to expand what you can do with the data you place in Excel. You can make those macros even handier ...
Discover MoreMacros that run automatically when you open or close a workbook are quite helpful. You may not want them to run, however, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments