This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I use lots of data validation drop down list and recently some phantom boxes have been appearing in my spreadsheets. You can select the grey arrow but the list is empty. You then select the cell to get the correct data validation list, which appears to overlay the the box. Can anyone help? I created a new spreadsheet from scratch and it appeared to have fixed it but today i opened the spreadsheet and once again i have phantom drop down lists!!!
I removed all the data validation from the cell and it still remained!
Can anyone help?
A family of Microsoft spreadsheet software with tools for analyzing, charting, and communicating data.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
If you are trying to click with the pen, that no longer works. MS changed that in Office this week. You have to use your finger or the mouse. Not sure if that's what you're seeing?
Thao,
I'm having issues with my Surface Book, WIndows 10, Excel 2016. Data Validation drop down boxes do not display when you click on them, I need to click on the edge of the cell to get the drop down to show.
Is this the sort of issue you've seen
Thanks
Wyn
Mobile apps do not run VBA Script. So I must always be careful the phantom cells do not exist when I exit a workbook I wish to open in a mobile app later. When the chips are down, the issue is not whether or not a VBA script works or not. The issue is Microsoft is not fixing the issue that has existed for a few months now. That is inexcusable.
There was more than one VBA script suggested. Is your problem that Excel mobile does not run VBA?
If it can, then the suggestion that should work is to move the selected cell on each sheet to a "safe" cell, on the Before_Save event. This will keep future phantoms from appearing.
We couldn't come up with a way to selectively delete the drop-downs.
The temporary workaround using VBA Script is totally useless to me as I also open all of these workbooks in Excel Mobile apps and these same cells are rendered totally useless. You cannot enter any data and the drop downs do not work. VBA scripts do not work in the mobile apps.
Microsoft is being lazy and not fixing the problem. This is a known problem for months. It is repeatable. I can create new worksheets over and over and the problem recreates itself. I have completely removed Office 2016 and reinstalled and the problem persists.