XL: Can't Select Control on Worksheet After Sizing

• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you size a control, such as a check box or a button, located at the left or top edge of a worksheet, the control moves off of the worksheet and you can no longer select the control to size, move, or delete it.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you size a control that is positioned at the far left or top edge of a worksheet, by moving the control selection handles toward that edge of the worksheet. This causes the control selection handles to disappear from the screen.

For example, if a check box is located at the far left edge of your worksheet, and you drag the right side of the check box to the left edge of the worksheet, the check box selection handles disappear, and you can no longer select the check box to move, size or delete it.

Note that when you size a check box or option button control off of the worksheet as described above, the box portion of the check box control or the circle portion of the option button control are still displayed on the screen (although you cannot select them).

WORKAROUND

To select a control that has been moved off of the worksheet, do the following:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Go To.

2. Choose the Special button.

3. Under Select, choose Objects, and then choose OK.

Note that when only the box or button of the control is displayed on the worksheet, and you delete the control, the object IS deleted; however, the box or button may remain on the screen. This is a problem with the way your screen displays the information: you can correct this behavior by minimizing the worksheet or the application window, and then restoring the window again.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

REFERENCES

For more information about Tips For Working With Graphic Objects, choose the Search button in Help and type:

   controls