XL98: Dropdown Lists Collapse When You Release Mouse Button

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, if you click any of the following items

• a dropdown list in an AutoFilter
• the dropdown list of a page field in a PivotTable
• a combo box (on the Forms toolbar) in a worksheet, dialog box, or UserForm

Note that this problem does not occur in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because of the way in which these lists function when you click them. If you use the keyboard instead of the pointer to activate a dropdown list, the dropdown list behaves differently.

WORKAROUND

To use the keyboard to select an item in an AutoFilter list, a page field dropdown list, or a combo box in a worksheet, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell that contains the list. Or, select a cell "behind" the combo box.

2. Press OPTION+DOWN ARROW to activate the list.

3. Use the arrow keys to move up or down through the list. Or, press the letter key of the first letter of the item you want to select.

   For example, press "a" to select "alpha." To select the next item that begins with "a," press "a" again.

4. After you select the item, press RETURN. Or, press ESC to cancel the operation.

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

Example

To see an example of this problem, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft Excel, create a new workbook. Enter the following data in Sheet1:

         A1: Name
         A2: Andrea
         A3: Bill
         A4: Bob
         A5: Cathy
         A6: Darin
   

2. Select cell A2. On the Data menu, point to Filter, and then click AutoFilter.

3. Click the AutoFilter list in cell A1. Do NOT hold the mouse button down.

   NOTE: In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, the list does not remain displayed. In Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows, the list does remain displayed.

4. Select cell A1, and then press OPTION+DOWN ARROW.