Excel: Menu Options Appear to Be Chosen Automatically

SUMMARY

If you have a menu in Microsoft Excel that is too long to display from the menu bar to the bottom of your video screen, Windows will attempt to shift the menu's position so that it will be fully visible on your screen. Excel may then appear to automatically activate a particular menu item each time you use the mouse to select a menu. Actually Excel is performing correctly in this case. To choose a different menu item, either use the ALT+key combination to activate the desired menu, or hold the mouse button down when you select a menu.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem indicates that the menu is too long to display between the menu bar and the bottom of the screen in its entirety. Excel moves the menu up until the bottom of the menu is visible. When you select the menu and immediately release the mouse button, the menu item that is drawn under the mouse pointer is selected. If you hold the mouse button down, you will be able to drag your mouse to select other items. Similarly, using the appropriate keyboard combination will cause the menu to display properly without activating any of the menu options.

This problem is common on CGA configurations because the File menu is always too long to fit on the CGA screen.

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Last Reviewed: March 23, 1999