The Function tooltips feature is available in Excel 2002 and later
versions. To turn the feature on:

Choose ToolsOptions
On the General tab, add a check mark to 'Function tooltips'
Click OK

Amalpert wrote:
Excel on my old laptop would "prompt" me as I entered a formula. By prompt, I
mean that a small beige box (comprised of a single line of text) would appear
outlining the formula arguments as I typed. It was akin to the formula
wizzard, but not nearly as comprehensive - a kind of reminder of the
variables necessary to complete the formula. This ability was enormously
useful and appears to be disabled on my new laptop. How can I enable it?


--
Debra Dalgleish
Excel FAQ, Tips & Book List
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html