Remove Comments/Popups from Workbook Template

Question

I am using an expense report template to create a simple report for some financial items at my job.  The problem is that most cells have constant comment popups that keep displaying when those cells are selected that I am unable to remove or even hide for some reason.

I have through a few steps to try to remove them but none seem to work.  If I right-click in the cells, the option to delete comments is greyed out.  Here are other steps i have tried

1 - Excel preferences --> View --> selected "No comments or indicators"

2 - Edit menu --> Find --> Go To --> click Special --> select Comments.  This prompts a message saying "No Cells Found"

Unable to find anything on the web regarding this issue, I initiated a chat with MS.  Not only was this a total waste of time, as the rep was clearly doing nothing but pushing to get off the chat as soon as possible, but he only recycled the very steps I had already told him I tried.  He then told me in a very belittling demeaning comment that would email steps that I could go through to fix the issue.  I should have suspected something was amiss when I asked if I was just going to get an email with the same steps I had already tried and that he repeated to me and did not receive a response.  After the chat and I received the email, sure enough, they were the same steps we just discussed.

So I am now unfortunately no better off than before with trying to resolve my problem.  Only now I am rather irritated at the unbelievably terrible support.

Answer 1

These are not comments but Data Validation Messages..

Select the cell where pop up message is appearing > Data tab > Data Validation > The pop message is in the Input Message > Either you can remove messages or just say clear all.

To remove them in block -

1. Select rows 1 to 7 > Data tab > Data Validation > Clear All
2. Select rows 20 to 22 > Data tab > Data Validation > Clear All

Answer 2

Holy cow!  You are my hero!  Thank you thank you!!  This worked.  I was racking my brain trying to figure it out and didn't even think to look here. 

Thank you Rohn007 also.  I have coworkers who are always adding random nonsensical comments to their sheets, so this will also come in handy in the future.

Answer 3

Need to have a look at your template. Could you please upload a sample workbook sans confidential data to Onedrive / Googledrive / Box / Dropbox or any other file host and share the link? It is recommended that you zip your file and upload. It will help us to give prompt and high quality solution.

Answer 4

Yes, that is a common response, irritation (or much worse!) to interaction with "official" MS Support (we here an in Answers.com) are "un"-official support for MS.

Do you want to permanantly remove these comments or just suppress them?

I think this tip has the answer to your question:

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Add-or...

I don't have Excel Mac, so you have to take this advice with a grain of salt. Take a look at this tip about setting comment display options (in Win)

http://excelribbon.tips.net/T006251_Viewing_Com...

If you are considering deleting them, this macro identifies cells with comments

HIGHLIGHT CELLS WITH COMMENTS

To highlight all the cells with comments use this macro.

Sub highlightCommentCells()

Selection.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeComments).Select

Selection.Style= "Note"

End Sub

Answer 5

Here is a link to the template on my Dropbox.  I have modified it from the original as I didn't need all the bells and whistles it comes with.  I am just using it as a simple expense report for some costs of our trade show expenses here at work.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r50z9nf0btgmndq/Template%20Sample.xlsx?dl=0