Pressing Ctrl + A when editing a cell doesn't select all. Excel just beeps.

Question

This happens whether I'm editing inside a cell or in the formula bar, and it happens even when I first start Excel and enter text in a new worksheet. And there are no global macros defined and the only add-in is Acrobat, so there's no custom code overriding the Ctrl + A shortcut. (Already tried disabling the Acrobat add-in.) This shortcut works everywhere else in Windows, so the problem isn't with the keyboard.

Running Excel 2016 in Windows 10, x64.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Answer 1

In all versions, you can select a single word in a cell with two double-clicks: one to put the cursor in the cell, and another to select the word. That hasn't changed.

But in previous versions, when the sheet is in Edit mode, I can press Ctrl + A to select all the text inside the cell (whereupon my next action would be Ctrl + C to copy). That doesn't work in 2016. I can still copy the active cell itself when the sheet is in Ready mode, but that sometimes copies unwanted formatting.

Answer 2

Hi,

Ctrl+A does not work in Formula Edit mode in any Excel version.

Answer 3

This is exactly the behaviour I get and expect to get.

To select a single part of a an entry (a word, a cell reference, etc.) just double click on it.

Text seems to need two double click in a cell but just one in the formula bar

best wishes