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If Excel’s arrow keys scroll the worksheet instead of selecting another cell, turn off Scroll Lock. On Windows, press ScrLk; if your keyboard has no such key, use Windows’ On-Screen Keyboard. If the arrow keys move the cursor through text inside a cell, Excel is in Edit mode instead—finish or cancel the edit first.
Identify what the arrow keys are moving
Watch the worksheet and the active cell as you press an arrow key. The visible behavior distinguishes the two common Excel modes that change arrow-key navigation:
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- The worksheet moves, but the selected cell stays put: Scroll Lock is on.
- The insertion point moves through text in the selected cell: Excel is in Edit mode.
For ordinary cell-to-cell navigation, Microsoft says Scroll Lock must be off. Microsoft’s worksheet navigation guidance describes how Scroll Lock changes the arrow keys’ behavior.
Check whether Scroll Lock is on
Look at Excel’s status bar, usually along the bottom of the window. If it displays “Scroll Lock,” the mode is active. The indicator can be hidden, so its absence does not prove that Scroll Lock is off. To show it, right-click the status bar and enable the Scroll Lock item, as described in Microsoft’s status-bar options.
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Turn off Scroll Lock on Windows
- Press the keyboard’s ScrLk key once. It may also be labeled Scroll Lock.
- Return to the worksheet and press an arrow key. The active cell should move instead of the worksheet scrolling.
If your keyboard has no ScrLk key, use Windows’ built-in On-Screen Keyboard: search Windows for On-Screen Keyboard, open it, then select ScrLk. Microsoft also documents opening it through Accessibility settings in its Scroll Lock instructions.
If the cursor moves inside a cell, exit Edit mode
When Excel is editing a cell, arrow keys move the insertion point within that cell’s contents rather than selecting a neighboring cell. Finish the edit by pressing Enter, or cancel it with Esc, then try the arrow keys again. See Microsoft’s instructions for editing cell contents.
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Check Scroll Lock on a Mac
Microsoft’s Excel shortcut guidance says Scroll Lock must be off for arrow keys to move between cells. It lists Shift+F14 as a Scroll Lock toggle, but the required modifier can vary with the keyboard. Some MacBooks may need a USB keyboard to access F14. Consult Microsoft’s Excel keyboard-shortcut guidance for the platform-specific details.
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Quick diagnosis
| What happens when you press an arrow key? | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Worksheet scrolls; selected cell stays in place | Scroll Lock is on | Turn off Scroll Lock with ScrLk or the Windows On-Screen Keyboard. |
| Insertion point moves through the selected cell’s text | Excel is in Edit mode | Press Enter to finish or Esc to cancel the edit. |
| No movement and neither behavior applies | The documented Scroll Lock and Edit mode symptoms do not explain it | Check whether Excel has focus and whether the selected cell is being edited before investigating other causes. |
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