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
    2018-04-23T00:30:40+00:00

    This issue happened to me this morning, after typing a random set of buttons (my hands were in the wrong position on the keyboard).  I look through this thread to find a solution and didn't see anything, so I went back to trying combinations of things.  

    I had several spreadsheets opened.

    I did the following on the one that the problem started:

    In any cell - ctrl c (nothing happened), ctrl x (again nothing), ctrl z (went to one of the other spreadsheets I had opened), alt/tab to get back to the original spreadsheet and was able to type.

    I hope this works for some others looking for a solution.

    Hi there, yes basically you need to switch to another excel workbook and back to the original and will be able to type again. The thing is that such a weird behaviour shouldn't happen in the first place. Seems like MS isn't even acknowledging the issue exists in the first place.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-04-16T03:03:05+00:00

    I have had this problem for a long time; a previous computer and a current computer.  Excel will stall; it will not accept input into a cell.  The solution is to click on another spreadsheet that is open, then I can return to the original spreadsheet and continue working.  This happens intermittently.  But based on the number of comments listed here, it seems that it is pervasive.  A shame that MSFT is not involved in the conversation.  At least I am in good company.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-03-27T09:17:08+00:00

    When the problem occurs pressing an enter makes excel jump to another open excel file and then you go back to the original one you were working with.

    But this I do not see as a solution. I am still patiently waiting for Microsoft to wake up and do sth about this.

    I really do not know why they are not interested.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-03-05T12:27:55+00:00

    Same issue here.  I did have my own support thread going but I seemed to lose my MSFT agent too :(

    Same thing, although the users here just crash out of excel and lose their work.  I'll forward on your findings about pressing enter and switching between sheets.

    Wonder if MSFT will ever look into this and resolve.  This needs escalating.

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-12-14T08:47:12+00:00

    Dear Cliff,

    do you happen to have any new helpful information regarding my question?

    Thank you, BR,

    P.

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