Alt Tab not Working in Excel

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

gartonc@gmail.com - 28 Sep 2007 23:55 GMT

Hey, hopefully someone can give me a hand here. Alt+Tab just stopped
working to switch between sheets in excel. I DO have
Tools>>Options>>View>>Windows in Taskbar checked. I do see multiple
sheets in the windows taskbar so this isn't the problem. Additionally,
I'm aware of Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+F6 (and their reverse "shift"
capabilities). I really need to be able to have the little window pop
up (with Alt+Tab) to be able to select the correct file without going
through them all like you have to with Ctrl+Tab.

Additionally, switching between other windows works fine, and if I
start from another window (such as firefox) I can switch INTO any of
the open excel files I wish. Once Excel is open, I can switch out of
excel to any other open window using alt tab. When I try to switch
from an excel file to another, the file's taskbar entry flickers like
it's trying to get there, but immediately goes back to the currently
open file.

Any Ideas? Thanks in advance. I'm running Win XP SP2 on a Dell
Inspiron with Excel 2002.

Thanks in Advance
Chris

Reply to this Message

Gary''s Student - 29 Sep 2007 13:28 GMT

This is NOT a solution to your problem, just a workaround until you find a
solution:

Bring down Window from the Menu bar and select the desired workbook from
there. You can either use the mouse or ALT-w

Signature

Gary''s Student - gsnu2007

> Hey, hopefully someone can give me a hand here. Alt+Tab just stopped
> working to switch between sheets in excel. I DO have
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Thanks in Advance
> Chris

Reply to this Message

Jim Rech - 29 Sep 2007 19:32 GMT

Nice 'bug report'. You covered all the questions we'd otherwise have to
ask. Alt-tab 'should' work of course. Works here, also of course. If you
haven't rebooted I'd try that. No idea what's wrong otherwise.

Signature

Jim

> Hey, hopefully someone can give me a hand here. Alt+Tab just stopped
> working to switch between sheets in excel. I DO have
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Thanks in Advance
> Chris

Reply to this Message

Kristi - 01 Oct 2007 22:58 GMT

I'm having this same problem. I'm currently running Excel 2003 (Office SP3)
on windows xp sp2 on a Dell Latitude D820.

> Nice 'bug report'. You covered all the questions we'd otherwise have to
> ask. Alt-tab 'should' work of course. Works here, also of course. If you
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> > Thanks in Advance
> > Chris

Reply to this Message

Jim Rech - 02 Oct 2007 13:30 GMT

Sorry, Kristi. Odd both you and Chris are using Dell laptops...

Signature

Jim

| I'm having this same problem. I'm currently running Excel 2003 (Office SP3)
| on windows xp sp2 on a Dell Latitude D820.
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
| > > Thanks in Advance
| > > Chris

Reply to this Message

KSchwartz - 06 Oct 2007 00:53 GMT

I am getting this too! The symptoms are exactly what I am experiencing...
alt-tab seems to stop working for Excel (with multiple worksheets), but works
fine for anything else currently running. I have a IBM ThinkPad T43 laptop
running XP SP2 and Office 2007. On a second (alternate) hard drive I have
Vista and Office 2007 and am getting the same problem there. On a third
(alternate) hard drive I have XP SP2 and Office 2003. This is only happening
when I am using Office (Excel 2007).

This is really causing some problems.

The suggestion in this thread to use the "Switch Windows" functionality
works, but is sooo kludgy I cannot consider it a valid workaround.

Thanks!

Kurt
kurt.schwartz@gmail.com

> Sorry, Kristi. Odd both you and Chris are using Dell laptops...
>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> | > > Thanks in Advance
> | > > Chris

Reply to this Message

JP - 06 Oct 2007 13:42 GMT

Hello,

Check to make sure SCROLL LOCK isn't on.

Also, CTRL-TAB can be used to switch between open workbooks.

Hope this helps,
JP

On Oct 5, 7:53 pm, KSchwartz <KSchwa...@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:

> I am getting this too! The symptoms are exactly what I am experiencing...
> alt-tab seems to stop working for Excel (with multiple worksheets), but works
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Kurt
> kurt.schwa...@gmail.com

Reply to this Message

gartonc@gmail.com - 01 Oct 2007 19:17 GMT

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. I'm still struggling
with this issue, additionally, I've discovered that CTRL+SHIFT+UP (or
other directional) ARROW key has stopped working to select cells.
These are major problems for me and any ideas at all are greatly
appreciated. I've definitely tried restarting and such. I hate to go
to the trouble of re-installing MS Office if I can help it.

Many thanks,
Chris

Reply to this Message

gartonc@gmail.com - 01 Oct 2007 19:22 GMT

Actually, CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT/RIGHT ARROW works to select cells going
horizontally, only UP and DOWN arrows don't work. This is so confusing
and frustrating !!! Does anyone think it could be a virus or something
outside Excel? Everything else on my computer seems to work fine and
I've run a scan. ARG!

On Oct 1, 11:17 am, gart...@gmail.com wrote:

> Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. I'm still struggling
> with this issue, additionally, I've discovered that CTRL+SHIFT+UP (or
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Many thanks,
> Chris

Reply to this Message

Jim Rech - 02 Oct 2007 13:28 GMT

Sorry, Chris, don't do anything desperate, ok?<g> Have you tried starting
Excel in safe mode (Start->Run "Excel.exe /s" [no quotes, there is a space
before the slash]) just to see if it's anything you're loading? Not likely
of course, especially the Alt-Tab problem since that's at the system level.

Signature

Jim

| Actually, CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT/RIGHT ARROW works to select cells going
| horizontally, only UP and DOWN arrows don't work. This is so confusing
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
| > Many thanks,
| > Chris

Reply to this Message

gartonc@gmail.com - 04 Oct 2007 01:52 GMT

Well, thanks guys for your help. I'm noticing new problems now as
well. I have to hit ALT twice to access the dropdown menus, CTRL
+Directional Keys have started taking me to random places in the
sheet. It looks like something bigger is going on here. I'm going to
try re-installing Office. Anyway, thanks again.

-Chris

Reply to this Message

Dave Peterson - 04 Oct 2007 02:09 GMT

Have you checked to see if your keyboard is programmable?

> Hey, hopefully someone can give me a hand here. Alt+Tab just stopped
> working to switch between sheets in excel. I DO have
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Thanks in Advance
> Chris

Signature

Dave Peterson

Reply to this Message

sybmathics - 06 Oct 2007 15:10 GMT

have you unchecked all options on sheet transition (tools --> options)

hth

sybolt

Reply to this Message