Excel 2016 - Cannot type anything into a cell all of a sudden

This is a widespread problem.  I work with multiple workbooks open all day long. Intermittently can't type, can't copy but simply click on another sheet in the same workbook and then back to your original sheet and everything works again. It's so bad that at times, I have to switch back and forth between sheets each time I change cells and need to type.   

Just so you understand Microsoft, here is example of what I do regularly: Working in sheet 1 Go to cell C19 and can't type, click sheet 2 and then click sheet 1 and can type in C19. Go to C20 and can't type, switch to sheet 2 back to sheet 1 and can type in C20....keeps going on for like a minute...

I believe it is a bug with Excel trying to autosave your open workbooks. It could be some recalculation bug but my money is on autosave. Makes sense, Excel trying to save your background sheets but it actually activates one of them in the saving process and your forefront workbook stops responding.  

Win 7 Pro, Office Professional Plus 2016

This same issue occurs with prior versions of Excel and no fix has been suggested for several years.

Hi P,

Please confirm whether the reproducing steps are as follows.

a. Open the Excel file.

b. Click on a cell and type something in the cell.

c. Press Enter and nothing is showed.

If yes, could you confirm and provide the following?

1. Check if the issue only occurs when you press some combination keys. Do all combination keys have the issue?
2. Does the issue happen in all Excel files? If you create a new Excel file, what’s the outcome?
3. Provide us with a full screenshot showing the version information of Excel 2016 via File>Account.

Thanks,

Cliff

Hi Cliff,

thank you for your reply.

I cannot confirm your steps.

The steps are as follows:

a) I open the existing XY Excel file.

b) I write and type normally in this XY Excel file.

c) All of a sudden I cannot type/write anything into any of the cells. (As if the letters on the keyboard would not be working. But I have even bought a new keyboard, and the problem still occurs.)

d) Pressing an Enter - it jumps to another YY Excel file, that is already opened. 

e) I go back to XY Excel file.

f) I can work on normally.

1. The issue occurs with all combination keys.
2. Yes, it happens in all Excel files. I haven't tried creating a new Excel file yet, as I am always working with existing ones.
3. I hope this will suffice.

Thank you and BR,

P.

Hi P,

Please confirm whether the reproducing steps are as follows.

a. Open the Excel file.

b. Click on a cell and type something in the cell.

c. Press Enter and nothing is showed.

If yes, could you confirm and provide the following?

1. Check if the issue only occurs when you press some combination keys. Do all combination keys have the issue?
2. Does the issue happen in all Excel files? If you create a new Excel file, what’s the outcome?
3. Provide us with a full screenshot showing the version information of Excel 2016 via File>Account.

Thanks,

Cliff

I have been having the same problem with MS Excel 2016 ( on MS Office 365 Business) for the past 6 months and it is becoming more frequent.  Working in excel and then all the sudden I cannot enter anything into a cell.  I can click on cell, highlight and drag down the screen. However I cannot use the scroll bar. Brand new Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop with Windows 10 and this is my problem.  

My problem is I can't type so usually find out the problem too late.  My solution has been click add sheet or go to another excel file and the problem goes away but comes back again.

VERY annoying and I could be wrong but it seems the updates in Windows is making the problem worse but I cannot say for sure. Yes I have uninstalled and installed and it still did not fix the problem.

Hopefully you can find a solution.  FYI no special key stroke or anything.

Thnaks,

BN

Hi Cliff,

I decided to get back to you as we still could not resolve the same issue with Excel in Office 2016.

In the meantime I uninstalled Office 2016, bought a new computer, installed Office 2016 again but the problem still persists.

My computer guy tells me that the reason could be in using old files (created in the year 2010) which could maybe not be compatible with Office 2016 (???). But on the other hand I am using files that were created 2 or 3 years ago and I have the same problem.

Have you found out anything new regarding this matter?

And I know I am not the only one with this issue -

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice\_excel-mso\_other/i-cannot-enter-any-numbers-or-letters-in-excel-i/a0efa8af-b10c-42f2-b5e5-58dcdd3001e0

I look forward to receiving a solution that works.

Thank you,

P.