For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Selecting Multiple Cells by Mistake. Lester notes that sometimes when he clicks on a single cell in a worksheet, more than one cell gets selected. Only by clicking various other cells at random in another part of the worksheet does it go back to normal where only the single cell he clicked on is selected.
He wonders why this is happening. There could be any number of causes for a problem like this. First of all, when it happens you should let go of the mouse and switch to the keyboard. With the multiple cells still selected, press the Up Arrow key once and then the Down Arrow key once.
If there are still multiple cells selected, it could be that the cells are actually merged. You can unmerge the cells, if desired, or simply accept that you can't select individual cells in the merged range. If the cells are not merged, it could be that the extend mode is currently turned on.
Take a look at the status bar at the bottom of the worksheet. If you see the letters EXT in bold, then extend mode is active. Double-click the EXT letters to turn it off or simply press F8.
When Excel is in extend mode, one end of a selection is "anchored" and the selection extends from there to where you click or move next.
If the problem still continues, it could be because of a hardware problem with the mouse. Try changing to a different mouse to see if that fixes the issue. If it doesn't, then it is also possible that it is a problem with the keyboard.
If the keyboard has a sticky Shift key, then that key could be "engaged" longer than desired, resulting in a selection of a range of cells, similar to the extend mode problem mentioned earlier.
If you suspect this is the cause, then you'll need to either thoroughly clean your keyboard or replace it. ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip applies to Microsoft Excel 97, , , and You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel Excel and later here: Selecting Multiple Cells by Mistake. Was this reply helpful?
Yes No. Sorry this didn't help. Thanks for your feedback. How satisfied are you with this reply?. Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. It is also called Extend Selection in or later and if the Selection Mode option has been turned on for Excel's status bar you will see "Extend Selection" displayed. This mode can also be turned off by pressing Esc. Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community. If this is happening to you, you may have hit the F8 Key accidentally.
Before I learned about this, the onlyl thing that worked for me was to save my spreadsheet, close it and re-open the spreadsheet. Sorry it did not work for you. What Excel version are you on and what type of computer are you using Mac or Windows? Had been in Page Layout view. Normal view worked like a charm!
Thanks thanks. Thank you. Switching to Normal View did the trick. I am having trouble just selecting a straight row or simple print area.
It seems to be jumping all around. I used to use the shift key and then select a row and had no problems. Now I have done something to cause the program to act possessed. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign in.
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