Excel keeps selecting cells it is like left mousebtn is stuck

[prinand]

I have noticed at our customers (2 now) where as you open a excel sheet and left click a cell, it will select any cell where the cursor moves to.

I have found more entries in this forum about this issue, but no fix.

some extra info :

if I open excel, and right click, I get a drop down like it should and no problem happens.
if I left click the menu's in excel there is no problem, and it does not appear like it is stuck (nor in other programs, than left and right mouse click do appear to be ok...)
but once you left click a cell, you're in problems. it keeps selecting cells, no CTRL-Z, CTRL-D, CTRL-BREAK, ENTER etc nothing helps...
the only way to get out it, is go to the taskbar excel icon, left click so it minimizes the excel window, and then right click and select close....

if you open word, no problem occurs, no stuck SHIFT key as suggested... I firmly clicked any mouse buttons (dell laptop keyboard with nipple and mouse buttons, and touchpad with mouse buttons) but they all work as normal in other programs...
a restart sometimes helps....

with the previous customer I removed the wireless mouse and later plugged it back in, and that is still working OK now... so that suggests a stuck key, but why does this only happen in excel ???????

I am just wondering if there is a special option in excel to assign a different function to a mouse button, and that this is happening with those customers ???? (it is not related to a excel sheet, even on blank sheets the problem occurs)

anyone seen this ? found or knows a solution ??

 

[xlbo]

Open excel
Press F8
try it again

As an aexplanation, there are some options that excel displays as part of the bar on the bottom of the application. These are shown to the right of the screen (as opposed to the statusbar on the left)

These option sshow for NUM (Numlock on), CAPS (Caps Lock on) and the money shot EXT (Extendible selections on)

My guess is your customers have the EXT visible in the bottom right of the app. F8 toggles this on and off

Rgds, Geoff

Three things are certain. Death, taxes and lost data. DPlank is to blame

Please read FAQ222-2244 before you ask a question

 

[prinand]

Thanks,

I had a look, but now that PC is not playing up at the moment, but I understand what you suggest, but it is not the issue we had. you still have to click (if F8 is activated) and every time you click all cells are selected between the cursor point where F8 was pressed and where the cursor is then.

whereas our problem is, first time you click on a cell, it then acts like you keep pushing the left shift button, and there is no way to "release the button" anymore
and that is not what happens with the F8 issue.

 

[bubba100]

From my experience I don't believe your problem is Excel. We use Dell laptops (D600). The touchpad on our model was designed to where its hard without looking to know where your at. In other words the "feel of where you are" for the touchpad is not "good". Everything is just to flat.

What we figured out-- the fault setting when you clicked both buttons was AUTO SCROLL. We had to go to Control Panel>Mouse>Buttons and turn Both buttons to nothing. People were not realizing they were hitting both buttons.

 

[prinand]

Bubba100, I have tried to emulate what you were suggesting, but that is not the problem.

I am not sure if it is excel or not, BUT : the problem is only in excel, no other software (like word) has this problem, while opening any excel sheet immediately shows the problem when the left button is pressed.
ALso, pressing any key, does not help while in the excel window, while if you move the mouse to the taskbar and left click, it will minimize the excel window, and the mouse acts normal, so it alsmost looks like a excel assitance for disabled users but I have not found any way to exit that mode other than closing excel....

the last customer with a dell laptop sometimes has this issue, and a reboot will fix the problem.
the previous customer with a desktop, kept the same problems all the time (reinstall excel etc...) only when the wireless mouse was removed, the issue was resolved (and that same mouse is now connected again to the same PC, and without any problems.....

so that last finding makes you assume again that it is a mouse problem, but why does it only cause a problem in excel and not in any other program ???????

 

[ETID]

One other thought...if you have a scroll wheel mouse, the center button may be stuck, try clicking the center wheel.

 

[doxiepup]

Prinand:

I too have experienced this problem from time to time. Although I don't know WHY it happens, I have discovered that if I click PRINT PREVIEW, then cancel the print preview, all is normal again.

 

[MrV123]

Hi prinand,

Don't suppose you managed to find what was causing your problem?

I am experiencing exactly the same thing and it's very frustrating. Have been using XL regularly on this laptop and had no problems. All of a sudden it's acting exactly as if the Left button remains clicked after I've clicked it once. As you say, only way to do anything is R click and End.

Anyone out there with the solution? Anyone seen this on a desktop, or is it just on laptops?

Thanks.

 

[earthandfire]

Scroll Lock can cause strange effects - although I don't know whether its relevant here.

 

[DPlank]

I've had this problem too and discovered I'd managed to hit F8 somehow.

Pressing it again releases the lock.



Cheers,
Dave

Probably the only Test Analyst Manager on Tek-Tips...therefore whatever it was that went wrong, I'm to blame...

animadverto vos in Abyssus!

Take a look at Forum1393!

 

[prinand]

Hi all, nice to see this is not unique..

I have not found a Solution, nor was I able to force my laptop into this error.

the F8 key seems similar, but pressing ESC ends it, and the selection only changes when the left key is clicked. in my occasion, ESC does not make a change, and where ever the mouse goes, the cells are select between the starting point (first cell clicked) and where the mouse is at.

I tried Scroll lock but I never managed to get the error I described.

also tried clicking the scroll wheel, but that is different, and the laptop had no scroll wheel, and the desktop did, so it is not related to the scroll wheel.

I have seen this on a desktop and a laptop, so it is not just a laptop issue....

 

[DrAlbany]

Hi..,

If you are using an older version of excel i.e. office 97 on win xp you will need to install SP1 and SP2 both Available from MS.

Regards


Steve

 

[ABOzIT]

I had this problem a while back and it turned out to be the mouse driver. I removed it and let XP use it's own driver and the problem went away.

Give it a try!