Thứ Ba, Tháng Hai 11, 2025
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6 ways to fix arrow keys not working in Excel

Arrow keys help you move from cell to cell on an Excel spreadsheet with just one keystroke. It can be frustrating when Excel's arrow keys don't work properly.

With this guide, Quantrimang.com will show you how to fix arrow keys not working in Excel.

1. Disable Scroll Lock

You will not be able to use the arrow keys if you have Scroll Lock enabled on your keyboard. So, the first fix for the problem of arrow keys not working in Excel is to disable Scroll Lock.

Notice the light on the Scroll Lock button on the keyboard. If it's lit, it means the Scroll Lock button is activated and the arrow keys are not working as they should. The solution is to simply press the button to disable the key.

How to disable Scroll Lock on the keyboard

To disable Scroll Lock on a Windows computer, simply press the Scroll Lock key.

It is usually located on the control key of the keyboard, above the arrow keys, or to the right of the function keys.

Scroll Lock key on Windows keyboard
Scroll Lock key on Windows keyboard

On a Mac, press F14 or key combination Shift + F14. If the Scroll Lock key doesn't turn off, try pressing it Command + F14.

How to disable Scroll Lock without keyboard

Nowadays, most computers do not have a Scroll Lock key. But you can still disable Scroll Lock without the keyboard.

For Windows users

Windows has a virtual keyboard feature that gives you keys that don't exist on a physical keyboard.

Open the Start menu, search and launch On-Screen Keyboard.

The Windows home screen shows search results for On-Screen Keyboard
The Windows home screen shows search results for On-Screen Keyboard

When it opens, look at the right side of the virtual keyboard. There you will find all the locking keys

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Click the named key ScrLkand the Scroll Lock key will be disabled if it is enabled.

Virtual keyboard with Scroll Lock key
Virtual keyboard with Scroll Lock key

For macOS users

If you can't disable the Scroll Lock key with physical keyboard commands on your Mac, you'll need to run AppleScript.

This method is not too difficult if you follow the simple steps below:

Click Launchpadsearch TextEdit and open it.

Create a new document by clicking the menu File and choose New.

Copy the following code and paste it into your document.

set returnedItems to (display dialog “Press OK to send scroll lock keypress to Microsoft Excel or press Quit” with title “Excel Scroll-lock Fix” buttons {“Quit”, “OK”} default button 2)
set buttonPressed to the button returned of returnedItems
if buttonPressed is “OK” then
tell application “Microsoft Excel”
activate
end tell
tell application “System Events”
key code 107 using {shift down}
end tell
activate
display dialog “Scroll Lock key sent to Microsoft Excel” with title “Mac Excel Scroll-lock Fix” buttons {“OK”}
end if

Save the file by pressing the keys Command + S.

Name the file as FixExcelKeys.applescript.

Now, open the Excel spreadsheet.

Double click index FixExcelKeys.applescript. This will open the script. Click the button Run at the top of the window and this button will fix arrow keys not working in Excel.

Another way to fix arrow keys not working in Excel is to enable the Sticky Keys feature on your Windows computer. Sticky Keys is not directly related to the arrow keys or your Excel application, but you can try toggling it to see if that fixes the problem for you.

3. Disable Scroll Lock in Excel

If your arrow keys don't move cells in Excel, run a quick test to see if they work in other programs. If so, the problem may be with Excel itself.

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Excel also has a built-in Scroll Lock feature. If enabled, it could be the reason why your cursor is not moving in Excel. Luckily, fixing the error is quite easy.

Launch Microsoft Excel, then open a new or existing spreadsheet.

Right click on the bar Statusat the bottom of the worksheet. If you're having trouble finding it, look for features like sliders Zoom and Page Layout.

From the menu Status barfind Scroll Lock. If the feature has state On next to it, click it once to turn it off.

Excel Sheet with Scroll Lock
Excel Sheet with Scroll Lock

4. Exit formula entry mode

If you find that your cursor is not moving in Excel, you may be in Excel's formula entry mode. This means you have selected a cell, typed =then start entering a function.

The selected cell in the formula will change if you press the arrow keys in this case, but the arrow keys will not control the cursor in the worksheet.

To reactivate the arrows, just press Enter then press Ctrl + Z to undo the formula and exit input mode.

5. Disable add-ins

Excel add-ins are very useful, but sometimes, they can cause some errors when using the application. You may need to disable any Excel add-ins you previously installed to use arrow keys in Excel.

You can disable add-ins in Excel easily by following these steps:

  • Launch Excel on your computer.
  • Click menu File and choose Options from the left sidebar.
  • Click Add-ins in the left bar to see Excel add-in settings.
  • From the drop-down menu, select Excel Add-ins and click Go.
  • Select all add-ins and click the button OK.
  • Uncheck all add-ins, then click OK.
  • Repeat the above steps for all options in the drop-down menu to disable all Excel add-ins.
  • Go back to the worksheet and try using the arrow keys.
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6. Unfreeze columns

If you are viewing cells in a group of rows or columns that have been frozen (frozen), you may think that the arrow keys have stopped working. But this is not true and you don't need to unfreeze them to fix the error.

You can just try zooming out to allow the use of the arrow keys. That way, you'll get a more complete view of the spreadsheet and can easily use the arrow keys in unlocked areas.

The solutions above will help you navigate your Excel worksheet more easily. Don't stop learning new things about Microsoft Excel and how you can use it to be more productive.

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