XL: Hyperlink Tooltip Doesn't Appear If Cell Contains Comment

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, if you move the mouse pointer over a cell that contains a hyperlink, the ToolTip you created for the hyperlink may not appear.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you insert a comment into the same cell as the hyperlink. Comments have priority over hyperlink ToolTips; therefore, only the comment appears when you move the pointer over the cell.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, add the text that would normally appear in the hyperlink ToolTip to the comment. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell. Note that because the cell contains a hyperlink, you cannot click the cell to select it. Instead, select an adjacent cell, and then use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the cell.

2. On the Insert menu, click Edit Comment.

3. Add the hyperlink ToolTip text to the comment.

4. When you are done, select any other cell in the worksheet to enter the changes to the comment.

STATUS

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel 97 and Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 97 and Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, you can insert a comment into a cell by selecting the cell, and then clicking Comment on the Insert menu. When you move the pointer over a cell that contains a comment, the comment is displayed.

You can insert a hyperlink into a cell by selecting the cell, and then clicking Hyperlink on the Insert menu. When you move the pointer over a cell that contains a hyperlink, a ToolTip that contains the address that is used by the hyperlink appears (for example, http://msnbc.com).

Because these two features conflict with each other, only one can be used at a time. As a result, if you move the pointer over a cell that contains both a comment and a hyperlink, only the comment appears.