I am guessing I have accidentally set something wrong but hoping someone can
tell me what it is. I open a spreadsheet - any spreadsheet and am unable to
"focus" on a cell. I end up with the plus sign the minute I click anywhere
and after that - everything just paints like I am trying to do a huge "mark".
I am unable to get out of this mode. It happens with spreadsheets I have had
for a while or even if I try to create a new one. I have tried repairing
Excel with my install disk but same thing happens. Has anyone else gotten
into this trouble? Adeas how to get out? At present - Excel is totally
unusable. Thanks in advance!

Jill

A common cause of this is that you are in "Extended" or "Add" mode.

If you see "EXT" or "ADD" down on the status bar try hitting F8 key a couple
of times.

F8 will will toggle you in and out of Extended mode. SHIFT + F8 will put you
in "ADD" mode.

With the "ADD" mode you need to re-click the mouse. This is used to select
non-contiguous cells and ranges without using the CTRL key.

With the "EXT" mode you just click once and drag. All cells will be selected.

If you are using a wheel-mouse tap the wheel a couple times.

Also see David McRitchie's "Ghosting" at

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/ghosting.txt


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 09:16:04 -0800, "Jill D Lennon LLC" <Jill D Lennon
wrote:

I am guessing I have accidentally set something wrong but hoping someone can
tell me what it is. I open a spreadsheet - any spreadsheet and am unable to
"focus" on a cell. I end up with the plus sign the minute I click anywhere
and after that - everything just paints like I am trying to do a huge "mark".
I am unable to get out of this mode. It happens with spreadsheets I have had
for a while or even if I try to create a new one. I have tried repairing
Excel with my install disk but same thing happens. Has anyone else gotten
into this trouble? Adeas how to get out? At present - Excel is totally
unusable. Thanks in advance!

It was the wheel mouse! Thanks so much for the tips. It seems that Excel was
the only place that this was manifesting itself but I am now back in business.

"Gord Dibben" wrote:

Jill

A common cause of this is that you are in "Extended" or "Add" mode.

If you see "EXT" or "ADD" down on the status bar try hitting F8 key a couple
of times.

F8 will will toggle you in and out of Extended mode. SHIFT + F8 will put you
in "ADD" mode.

With the "ADD" mode you need to re-click the mouse. This is used to select
non-contiguous cells and ranges without using the CTRL key.

With the "EXT" mode you just click once and drag. All cells will be selected.

If you are using a wheel-mouse tap the wheel a couple times.

Also see David McRitchie's "Ghosting" at

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/ghosting.txt


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 09:16:04 -0800, "Jill D Lennon LLC" <Jill D Lennon
wrote:

I am guessing I have accidentally set something wrong but hoping someone can
tell me what it is. I open a spreadsheet - any spreadsheet and am unable to
"focus" on a cell. I end up with the plus sign the minute I click anywhere
and after that - everything just paints like I am trying to do a huge "mark".
I am unable to get out of this mode. It happens with spreadsheets I have had
for a while or even if I try to create a new one. I have tried repairing
Excel with my install disk but same thing happens. Has anyone else gotten
into this trouble? Adeas how to get out? At present - Excel is totally
unusable. Thanks in advance!