5 Fixes for Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working in Microsoft Excel for Windows

Quick Tips

• Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) on Windows to perform a few keyboard shortcuts and determine whether the issue lies with your keyboard or Excel.
• Consider launching Excel in safe mode if you suspect one of your add-ins may be causing the problem.
• Using the Office repair tool effectively resolves most issues with Excel, including this one.

Fix 1: Use the On-Screen Keyboard

First, you must perform a few keyboard shortcuts using the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) on Windows. This will help you determine if the problem is with Microsoft Excel or your keyboard.

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet.

Step 2: Press the Windows + S keyboard shortcut to access the search menu. Type on screen keyboard in the box and hit Enter.

Step 3: In the On-Screen Keyboard window, click the Ctrl key, followed by the A key, and check if Excel selects all the cells.

Similarly, you can perform a few keyboard shortcuts using the On-Screen Keyboard. If they work as expected, you may need to troubleshoot your keyboard or replace it.

Fix 2: Enable Sticky Keys

Excel keyboard shortcuts may fail to work if you don’t press the keys together quickly enough. In that case, enable Sticky Keys on Windows. That will let you use keyboard shortcuts by pressing one key at a time.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app, then go to Accessibility > Keyboard.

Step 2: Turn on the toggle for Sticky keys.

Fix 3: Check Assigned Macros

Macros in Excel are recorded actions or scripts that you can assign to specific keyboard shortcuts. Your assigned macros may be conflicting with the built-in Excel shortcuts. To fix this, delete any conflicting macros.

Step 1: Open your Excel sheet and switch to the View tab. Click on Macros and select View Macros.

Step 2: In the Macro dialog box, identify any macros causing conflicts. Select it > click on Delete.

Fix 4: Open Excel in Safe Mode

A faulty add-in may be disrupting Excel processes and preventing your keyboard shortcuts from working. To check for this possibility, use Excel in safe mode, where it runs without your add-ins.

Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog. Type excel -safe in the text box and press Enter to open Microsoft Excel in safe mode.

After Excel opens in safe mode, use any keyboard shortcut. If it works, you can be certain that one of your add-ins is causing the problem. To identify the problematic add-ins, disable all add-ins and enable them one by one.

Step 1: In Excel, click on File at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Select Options at the bottom-left corner.

Step 3: Head to the Add-ins tab and select COM Add-ins in the Manage drop-down menu. Then, click the Go button.

Step 4: Clear all the boxes to disable your add-ins and click OK.

Re-enable your add-ins one at a time until the problem occurs again. Once you find the add-in causing the issue, consider removing it.

Fix 5: Run the Office Repair Tool

If nothing works, try running Microsoft’s Office repair tool on Windows. It will automatically detect and fix any issues with all Office programs, including Excel.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type appwiz.cpl in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: Locate and select the Microsoft Office suite. Then, click on Change at the top.

Step 3: Select Online Repair and click Repair.