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

Anonymous
2017-04-14T07:08:05+00:00

Hi,

I am experiencing a problem with Excel 2016 that is really frustrating.

I am working normally in excel 2016, when all of a sudden I cannot type anything into a cell. If I press Ecs nothing happens. I do not have macros, nor protected sheet or cells. I am working with multiple (2 or more) open excel files at the same time. I tried to figure out, if I press some combination of keys that would cause this, but found nothing. I, however, can move the mouse over the sheet and click different cells. I think the arrow keys work as well.

The strange thing that always "solves" the problem is pressing Enter. Pressing the Enter opens another Excel file that is already opened, and after simply going back to the first one, I then can work on normally. This can occur once, twice but sometimes even 10-times in a single day! Just terrible.

This is time demanding, many times I write into a cell and then see that the cell is still blank, I press the enter to make it work again, going back... - I cannot work like this.

When I was working with the same files in Excel 2013 and 2010 I hadn't have experienced such problems. 

I already read some other forums with people experiencing the same problem, but haven't found any solution yet.

Do you have any?

Thank you!

P.

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-12-17T00:55:03+00:00

    Hi there, your post gave me an idea about this issue.

    Are you by any chance using Symantec Endpoint and most of your files are on the network?

    It seems that Symantec Endpoint has features to scan network shares and they are in the virus and spyware protection portion and I believe Proactive Threat Protection. If you are using other antivirus application, do they have network share scan as well?

    Could it be causing the problem with excel shares? I have tried disabling the network share scan feature for the  computers and will monitor.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-12-13T11:44:27+00:00

    I've read through the whole thread - wow! I am like truly wow! imaginating of all the thousands who are

    • hitting Enter and switching back to the actual work sheet
    • opening a blank worksheet as a precaution just to be prepared
    • fussing around with disabling auto save or hardware acceleration or whatsoever

    Wow.

    Came here because google led me here ("excel problem cannot edit cell or save" search string). Initially I was researching a problem a colleague of mine reported to me:

    * editing an Excel file that is stored in a network share folder

    * saving it under a new name lets Excel creating the new file but only with 0 kB size and a popup appears: "Could not save file." - that's it.

    * workaround: saving locally onto the desktop and copying the file to it's desired destination works

    This happens intermittently and thus there are phases where this does not happen.

    She then tells me what's important:

    "Everytime this happens (the failed saves) I also cannot edit any cells. Look here: I can click everywhere, scroll and anything but writing in a cell or editing a formula is not possible."

    So far, I have no solution for this problem.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-12-11T16:50:16+00:00

    I will try that, thank you!

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-12-07T14:37:41+00:00

    I’ve found the fastest way back to working is to hit enter.  This will take you to another open spreadsheet.  Then click the tab you were in and continue on.

    regards,

    Dave

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-12-07T01:07:24+00:00

    Truth be told the most annoying thing is asking Microsoft for help and instead of getting help I keep getting emails from people who have the problem.  At first it was fine because you felt good to not be the only one.  This post is over a year old and still nothing but emails from people with the problem then occasionally someone with no clue what the problem is recommends a useless solution that creates another slew of emails. Yes that would be me too as I await my response to generate another email to myself and everyone else! SO SORRY I will not be responding anymore unless there is a real solution.

    I wonder if people in the Apple world are experiencing this problem?  I think Microsoft just makes too much money to care now they have convinced everyone to subscribe to their 365 service.  Shameful!

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