Excel: OPTION+Click to Insert Cells Doesn't Bring Up Dialog

SUMMARY

When you are using the mouse, a shortcut to insert cells in an Microsoft Excel worksheet or macro sheet is to hold down the OPTION key and click the cursor at the point at which the insertion is to be made. In versions of Excel earlier than 2.20, the Insert dialog box is presented so you can choose whether to move the existing cells Right or Down.

However, in Excel 2.20 and 3.00, OPTION+click does not bring up the Insert dialog box; instead, OPTION+click inserts down or right depending on the shape of the selection and the last direction inserted. For example, if a block of cells that is higher than it is wide is selected, the existing cells are moved to the right. Otherwise, the existing cells are moved down.

This feature of Excel 2.20 and 3.00 is by design, as OPTION+click is intendedto be a quick, dialog-free keystroke. To manually change the direction of the insert and be prompted with a dialog box, do one of the following:

Method 1

Select the area and choose Insert from the File menu.

Method 2

Select the area and press COMMAND+I.