[Solved] Barcode Scanner Not Going to Next Line in Excel

Certainly, Excel’s ability to store barcodes in a cell is a nifty feature. That said, however, the world we live in is far from perfect! At times, the barcode scanner may not automatically move to the next line. Keeping this in mind, in this article we’ll see in detail how to fix barcode scanner not going to next line in Excel. In addition, we’ll also learn how to insert barcodes in Excel.

Why Barcode Scanner Is Skipping Lines in Excel

In a nutshell, the barcode engine skips to the next line when it encounters Carriage Return (CR), Line Feed (LF), and TAB characters when scanning a barcode. In this case, adding these extra characters by mistake can result in the skipping of lines in Excel.
Now, to resolve this issue, you can paste the scanning codes into a Microsoft Word file and click the Show/Hide button, in the Home tab to display any additional CR, LF, or TAB characters.

Barcode Scanner Is Not Going to Next Line in Excel: 3 Solutions

Assuming the List of ID and Barcodes dataset shown in the B4:C13 cells which contain the ID number and the corresponding Barcode respectively. So, let’s have a glance at the solutions described below with simple and easy illustrations.

Here, we have used the Microsoft Excel 365 version, you may use any other version according to your convenience.

Solution-1: Using TAB and ENTER Keys

Let’s begin with the simplest way to move to the next line, that is to say, using the TAB and ENTER keys. So, let’s see it in action.

📌 Steps:

• Initially, go to the C5 cell and enter the expression given below.

Here, the B5 cell refers to the ID which is 123ABC8462.

• Next, press the TAB key to move to the D5 cell.

• Then, type in “OK” to confirm the scanning >> hit the ENTER button to jump to the next line.

Now, the cursor moves to the next line in the C6 cell, ready to store the next barcode.

• Similarly, repeat the same procedure for the other cells to obtain the results shown in the image below.

Read More: How to Use Barcode Scanner for Inventory in Excel

Solution-2: Automating the TAB and ENTER Keys with VBA Code

You might be wondering, is there a way to automate the previous process? Then VBA Code has you covered. So, just follow these steps.

📌 Steps:

• First, navigate to the Developer tab >> click the Visual Basic button.

Now, this opens the Visual Basic Editor in a new window.

• Second, Double-Click on the sheet name where you want to insert the VBA code.

For your ease of reference, you can copy the code from here and paste it into the window as shown below.

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
    If Target.Column = 2 Then
        Target.Offset(0, 1).Select
    ElseIf Target.Column = 3 Then
        Target.Offset(1, -1).Select
    End If
End Sub

• Third, navigate to the C5 cell and enter the formula given below.

In the above expression, the B5 cell refers to the ID which is 123ABC8462.

• Now, pressing the ENTER key moves the cursor to the D5 cell.

• Afterward, type in OK and hit the ENTER key to move to the next line, i.e. the C6 cell.

Likewise, apply the same process and your output should look like the screenshot shown below.

Solution-3: Applying VBA code

Alternatively, you can also apply the following VBA code to move to the next line in Excel. Now, allow me to demonstrate the process in the steps below.

📌 Steps:

• At the very beginning, run beginning steps from the previous methods to open the Visual Basic editor and insert the code into the worksheet.

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Application.EnableEvents = False

If Left(Target.Address, 3) = "$B$" Then
    
   Range("C" & Target.Row).Value = Time()
   Range("D" & Target.Row).Select
ElseIf Left(Target.Address, 3) = "$D$" Then
   Range("B" & Target.Row + 1).Select
End If
Application.EnableEvents = True
End Sub

• Following this, proceed to the C5 cell >> insert the following expression.

In this equation, the B5 cell refers to the ID which is 123ABC8462.

• In turn, press the ENTER key to automatically insert the Time in the D5 cell and select the E5 cell.

• Next, type in “OK” in the Status column and hit the ENTER key to move to the C6 cell in the next line.

Finally, repeat the same process for the other cells and the results should look like the image given below.

Read More: Creating Barcode Scanner to Track Check in & Check out Time in Excel

How to Add a Barcode to a Cell in Excel?

Adding a barcode to a cell in Excel is quite straightforward, so let’s go through the process of inserting barcodes in detail.

📌 Steps:

• First of all, download the IDAHC39M font >> next install the font on your computer >> then, restart Microsoft Excel on your computer.
• Second, select the B5:B13 range of cells >> press the CTRL + 1 keys to launch the Format Cells dialog box.

• Following this, choose the Text option >> hit the OK button.

• Afterwards, go to the C5 cell and type the following expression into the Formula Bar.

Here, the B5 cell indicates the ID which is 123ABC8462.

• Now, use the Fill Handle tool to copy the formula into the cells below.

• Additionally, select the C5:C13 range >> choose the IDAHC39M font from the list.

Consequently, your results should appear like the picture shown below.

Admittedly, I have skipped the detailed process of making Barcodes in Excel. You may explore it if you wish.

Read More: Barcode Scanner Entry to Excel Database with Timestamp

Practice Section

We have provided a Practice section on the right side of each sheet so you can practice yourself. Please make sure to do it by yourself.

Download Practice Workbook

You can download the practice workbook from the link below.

Conclusion

Thus, I hope this article helps you understand how to fix the barcode scanner not going to the next line in Excel. If you have any queries, please leave a comment below.