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Excel "Shape Format" tab problem

Anonymous
2016-11-02T16:00:16+00:00

Since last week's update, Excel won't let me paint two cells and pull them down to make multiple copies.  It shifts into "Shape Format" mode with a different cursor shape (like a star).  

How do I get the normal "+" cursor back?  How do I close the "Shape Format" tab? 

Also, since the last update, Excel is very slow for Sort and even for simple data entry (sometimes).

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 436K Reputation points
2016-11-03T16:27:33+00:00

Sorry for the dim screen shot. Firefox is acting up & I didn't want to retype the whole reply :-)

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-11-03T17:12:50+00:00

    That solved it.  Thank you enormously.

    I probably wasted 10 hours on this problem.

    I did a screen shot, but it didn't show up in Evernote yet.  If it does, I will send it.  Using your solution, 20-30 different overlays appeared (I must have copied them), which explains the very slow response time I was getting.

    Thank you again.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-11-03T15:32:58+00:00

    Thank you for the helpful suggestions.

    Shift, paint, pull helps, but not in the the part of the screen that reverts to "Shape Format" mode--this part of the spreadsheet is cluttered by a "Shape format" symbol (for rotating) or overlays of old cell contents.  

    Looks like the problem is that I accidentally entered "Shape Format", but now I can't get it to go away.  

    Is there a key combination to turn off "Shape Format"?

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-03T01:14:37+00:00
    1. First, hold shift down while selecting the desired cells to copy.
    2. After they are selected, then hover Mouse/Trackpad pointer over the right bottom corner of the last cell selected.
    3. The +  (crosshair sign) should appear.
    4. Click down mouse/trackpad button immediately.
    5. Then drag straight down or across to copy to the desired cell(s).

    If this is how you usually do, then either something has happened to the application. (Permissions issues.) Or perhaps a Bad plist file.  Or maybe you have by accident set a preference by touch a key combination by accident. 

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