I am able to bring up the help file in an excel workbook with no problems.
However, in the VBA help file I can only access the contents portion. I
cannot get a cursor in the Answer Wizard or Index Areas - I only get a cursor
with arrows pointing left and right but cannot enter any text in the keyword
field, etc. I recently updated from my original office with the SR-1
updates, not sure if this could be related. Appreciate any insights.

Hi ....,
Use Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Task Manager (not to reboot)
In the process tab select msohelp.exe and then the "End Process " button.

If there is another delete it also.

Then bring your HELP again.

Another problem that you might see with the same cure is not
being able to expand to see table of contents. Of course if you
have Excel 2003 someting is missing anyway in Help, don't
remember what.parts of Help are missing.
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"HelpNeeded" wrote in message ...
I am able to bring up the help file in an excel workbook with no problems.
However, in the VBA help file I can only access the contents portion. I
cannot get a cursor in the Answer Wizard or Index Areas - I only get a cursor
with arrows pointing left and right but cannot enter any text in the keyword
field, etc. I recently updated from my original office with the SR-1
updates, not sure if this could be related. Appreciate any insights.

I tried what you suggested; however, that only closed out the help file
process. When I re-opened the excel the problem still remains. If it helps,
I am using Excel 2000. Do I need to actually delete the help file and then
reload it from Office disk?
Is this related to the patches that I recently made from Microsoft Office
updates?

"David McRitchie" wrote:

Hi ....,
Use Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Task Manager (not to reboot)
In the process tab select msohelp.exe and then the "End Process " button.

If there is another delete it also.

Then bring your HELP again.

Another problem that you might see with the same cure is not
being able to expand to see table of contents. Of course if you
have Excel 2003 someting is missing anyway in Help, don't
remember what.parts of Help are missing.
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"HelpNeeded" wrote in message ...
I am able to bring up the help file in an excel workbook with no problems.
However, in the VBA help file I can only access the contents portion. I
cannot get a cursor in the Answer Wizard or Index Areas - I only get a cursor
with arrows pointing left and right but cannot enter any text in the keyword
field, etc. I recently updated from my original office with the SR-1
updates, not sure if this could be related. Appreciate any insights.

No all canceling the task does is terminate the program it does not
uninstall anything.
..
How are you opening Excel ? Is it from a link to the workbook.
Try opening Excel and then use File, Open to open the file.

Even better test.
Close Excel, make sure there is no msohelp.exe running.
Use Start, documents to create a new Excel file, save,
and then try Help.
---
HTH, (like you I use Excel 2000)
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"HelpNeeded" wrote in message ...
I tried what you suggested; however, that only closed out the help file
process. When I re-opened the excel the problem still remains. If it helps,
I am using Excel 2000. Do I need to actually delete the help file and then
reload it from Office disk?
Is this related to the patches that I recently made from Microsoft Office
updates?

"David McRitchie" wrote:

Hi ....,
Use Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Task Manager (not to reboot)
In the process tab select msohelp.exe and then the "End Process " button.

If there is another delete it also.

Then bring your HELP again.

Another problem that you might see with the same cure is not
being able to expand to see table of contents. Of course if you
have Excel 2003 someting is missing anyway in Help, don't
remember what.parts of Help are missing.
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"HelpNeeded" wrote in message ...
I am able to bring up the help file in an excel workbook with no problems.
However, in the VBA help file I can only access the contents portion. I
cannot get a cursor in the Answer Wizard or Index Areas - I only get a cursor
with arrows pointing left and right but cannot enter any text in the keyword
field, etc. I recently updated from my original office with the SR-1
updates, not sure if this could be related. Appreciate any insights.