XL97: Pressing ALT+F11 May Not Start the Visual Basic Editor (165258)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q165258

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, when you press ALT+F11, you cannot start or switch to the Visual Basic Editor.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if an ActiveX control on a worksheet has the focus when you press ALT+F11.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use either of the following workarounds.

Method 1: Use the Macro Command



To start or switch to the Visual Basic Editor when an ActiveX control has the focus, point to Macro on the Tools menu, and then click Visual Basic Editor.

NOTE: When you point to Macro on the Tools menu, the Alt+F11 key combination appears next to the Visual Basic Editor command. However, this key combination does not work when an ActiveX control has the focus.

Method 2: Shift the Focus Away from the ActiveX Control

You can also click a cell on the worksheet so that the ActiveX control no longer has the focus. Then, press ALT+F11 to start or switch to the Visual Basic Editor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem no longer occurs in Microsoft Excel 2000.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 97 you can add ActiveX controls to worksheets for making custom applications. The ActiveX controls that you can add to a worksheet are displayed on the Control Toolbox toolbar. To display the Control Toolbox toolbar, point to Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Control Toolbox.

REFERENCES

For more information about ActiveX controls, click the Index tab in Microsoft Visual Basic Help, type the following text

activex

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Understanding Automation" topic.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/22/2000
Keywords:KB165258
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.