Excell Spread sheet issues

Ronald Creppel 0 Reputation points
2026-09-09T16:32:24.24+00:00

I have been trying for 2 hours to get help with an issue with excel spread sheets. I am getting a white cross when trying to t into a cell, and no numbers are shown.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Windows
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  1. DaveM121 928.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-09T17:09:15.36+00:00

    1

    On your keyboard, if there is a scroll lock key (ScrLk), try tapping that key or Fn + that key to check if Scroll Lock was enabled.

    2

    If that was not the problem, try tapping the Esc key a couple of times.

    3

    If that was not the problem, try tapping the F8 hey or Fn + F8 on your keyboard to disable extended mode.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-09T16:32:39.1033333+00:00

    The white cross in Excel is the normal cell-selection cursor when the pointer is over the worksheet grid.

    For the missing numbers, the most likely causes from this scenario are:

    1. The column is too narrow
      • If cells show #####, the column is not wide enough.
      • Double-click the right border of the column header to auto-fit it, or drag the border wider.
    2. The cells are formatted as Text before entry
      • If numbers were entered into cells formatted as Text, they may not behave as expected.
      • To check or change this:
        • Select the cells.
        • Press Ctrl+1.
        • On the Number tab, choose the format needed, or choose Text only if the values should not be calculated.
    3. Numbers were previously entered after Text formatting
      • If numbers were typed into cells already formatted as Text, they must be entered again after changing the format.
      • A quick way is to select each cell, press F2, then press Enter.
    4. Numbers are stored as text
      • If Excel shows an alert on the cell:
        • Select the cells.
        • Select the error indicator, or press Alt+Shift+F10.
        • Choose Convert to Number.

    If the concern is specifically that the pointer should be an arrow inside the worksheet, that is not how Excel normally behaves. The white cross is the standard cursor over cells.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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