XL97: Problems Using Inserted Control in Another Window

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you insert a control from the Control Toolbox into a worksheet in Microsoft Excel 97, the following problems may occur:

• When you click the control, it does not work. Instead, the pointer changes into the selection cursor. This behavior occurs even if the worksheet is in run mode not in design mode.

      -or-
  

• When you click the control, a copy of the control appears on another worksheet. This "ghost" copy does not work; it is an image of the control. The copy disappears if you update the screen by switching to another worksheet or by scrolling to a different part of the worksheet.

CAUSE

These problems occur when you use more than one window to view a workbook and you attempt to click a control. After you insert a control into a worksheet, the control works only in the window that is active when you insert the control.

For example, assume that two windows display the contents of a workbook you named Book1. The windows that display the workbook may be named Book1:1 and Book1:2. If you insert a control in the Book1:1 window, the control does not work if you click it in the Book1:2 window. Also, if you click the control in the Book1:2 window, a copy of the control may appear in the Book1:1 window if a different worksheet is active in the Book1:1 window.

These problems occur because inserted controls work only in the window in which you insert them.

For more information about reproducing this problem, see the “More Information” section in this article.

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.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Excel 97 includes controls that you can insert into worksheets by using the Control Toolbox toolbar. Some of the commonly used controls are as follows:

   Check Box        Toggle Button
   Text Box         Spin Button
   Command Button   Scroll Bar
   Option Button    Label
   List Box         Image
   Combo Box

1. In Microsoft Excel 97, close all open workbooks. Then, create a new workbook and switch to Sheet1.

2. On the Window menu, click New Window. Then, click Arrange on the Window menu, click Tiled, and then click OK.

   The Bookx:1 and Bookx:2 windows appear.

3. Display the Control Toolbox toolbar by clicking the View menu, pointing to Toolbars, and clicking Control Toolbox.

4. Switch to the Bookx:1 window.

5. On the Control Toolbox toolbar, click the Toggle Button tool. Then, draw a button in the Bookx:1 window.

   Note that the toggle button appears in both windows.

6. On the Control Toolbox toolbar, click Exit Design Mode.

7. In the Bookx:1 window, click the toggle button.

   Note that the button works correctly.

8. Switch to the Bookx:2 window and click the toggle button.

   The button does not work. Also, you cannot move it because the worksheet is in run mode.

9. Switch to the Bookx:1 window, and select a different worksheet (for example, Sheet2).

   Note that Sheet2 does not contain a toggle button.

10. Switch to the Bookx:2 window. Click the toggle button.

    A toggle button appears in Sheet2 in the Bookx:1 window.

11. Switch to the Bookx:1 window. Click the toggle button in Sheet2.

    The toggle button does not work, because it is a copy of the real button.

    Note that you can select cells behind the button and enter values in them.

12. In the Bookx:1 window, switch to Sheet1. Then, switch to Sheet2.

    The copy of the toggle button disappears. Note that the toggle button in Sheet1 of the Bookx:1 window works correctly.