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Mouse keeps highlighting in Excel

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dermotcw

Instructor
Jan 11, 2008
7
IE
Hi,
When I open Excel my mouse starts operating very stangely, as i move it over the spreadsheet it keeps highlighting the area and I cannot point and click as normal.
I've tried it in another PC and it works fine, I looked at the mouse config and looks ok. Could the problem be with the machine?
It works ok in the other applications
 
Hi,
I have had one PC on my network (of 25) that does this, and it's with an IBM-branded wireless mouse. In our case, we could not even switch to another application and the user thought her PC was "posessed". It is as if the "left-button" is stuck (which it is not, mechanically). The mouse in question has a scroll-button that you can "click", which, in my case, stops the activity. I have moved this mouse to another PC (which doesn't show the problem) and replaced the mouse on the 'misbehaving' system and the problem went away! Good luck...
 
I agree with all the above, try subbing a PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo and see if the problems persist. I always keep a wired PS/2 set(plus PS/2 to USB adapter for notebooks) at home & at the office for quick troubleshooting.

Tony

"...an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind" - M.L. King
 
sounds like shift or ctrl is stuck.. also have a check you havnt got 'sticky keys' activated in control panel
 
bchizary said:
you havnt got 'sticky keys' activated
That can be a nightmare, even if you turn it off [sad]

Sometimes you can fix the problem (if it is indeed turned off) is by using CTRL+A to select the entire spreadsheet/document etc. and then clicking in the highlighted area. Has certainly worked for me in the past.

HarleyQuinn
---------------------------------
The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a little. - Joe Martin

Get the most out of Tek-Tips, read FAQ222-2244 before posting.
 
This occasionally happens to me with any application. I can usually stop it by left clicking several times. Sometimes hitting the shift key several times also works.
 
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