[Fixed!] Cursor Selecting Wrong Cell in Excel (6 Proven Solutions)

Here are the Quarterly Sales Data for 2021 shown in the B4:F14 cells, containing the Location and the four Quarters Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively. We want to fix the issue of the Excel cursor selecting the wrong cell.

Solution 1 – Checking Whether the Extend Selection Feature Is Enabled

With the Extend Selection feature, you might inadvertently select other cells alongside your intended one.

Steps:

• Check the Status Bar to see if Extend Selection is visible.
• Press the F8 key or the Esc key to turn off Extend Selection. The status should disappear from the Status Bar.

• This disables the Extend Selection feature.

Solution 2 – Adjusting the Zoom Percentage

Steps:

• Move to the View tab and click Zoom.

• Choose a magnification according to your preference and hit the OK button.

You can also adjust the zoom using the Zoom Slider in the Status Bar.

Solution 3 – Opening Excel in Safe Mode

Steps:

• Close Excel.
• Click the Windows button and find excel from the app list.
• Hold down the Ctrl key and left-click to open Excel.

• A message appears asking if you want to open Excel in Safe Mode.
• Choose Yes.

Solution 4 – Disabling All Add-ins

Steps:

• Navigate to the File tab at the top-left corner.

• Click the Options button at the bottom.

• The Excel Options wizard will appear.
• Go to the Add-ins section.
• In the Manage field, choose the COM Add-ins option and click on Go.

• Uncheck all the Add-ins and press OK.
• Restart Excel.

Solution 5 – Enabling Direct Editing in Cell

In the screenshot below, Double-clicking the C17 cell prompts the cursor to jump to the C9:F9 cell since it’s using that data to compute the value. Fortunately, there is a simple workaround.

Steps:

• Go to the File tab.

• Select the Options section.

• Navigate to the Advanced tab.
• Check Allow editing directly in cells.
• Press OK button.
• Restart Excel.

Solution 6 – Changing the Page Layout

Steps:

• Go to the View tab and choose the Normal view.

If the problem persists, consult Microsoft Support’s website.

What to Do If Cursor Is in the Wrong Place in Excel?

Steps:

• Go to the File tab.

• Choose Options to open the settings window.

• Select the Advanced tab.
• In the Display section.
• Check the Disable hardware graphics acceleration option and press OK.

You might need to update your Office version to fix this feature.

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