Why do checkboxes and option buttons inserted from the Developer tab turn into black bars?

Question

Why do checkboxes and option buttons inserted from the Developer tab show up as black bars after a Windows update?

Answer 1

Hello Aek Samroeng,

The screenshot indicates that Excel is inserting the controls, but some Form Controls are being rendered as black rectangles.

Since this began after a Windows update and affects several control types, this is more likely a display or Office rendering issue than a problem with the worksheet itself.

Please try the following:

1. Open Excel and select File > Account > Update Options > Update Now to install the latest Office fixes.
2. Restart Windows after the Office update completes.
3. Press Windows key + R, enter excel /safe, and press Enter. Create a blank workbook and insert a checkbox from Developer > Insert > Form Controls.
4. If the controls display correctly in Safe Mode, select File > Options > Add-ins, manage COM Add-ins, and temporarily disable third-party add-ins to identify a conflict.
5. If the black controls also appear in Safe Mode, update or reinstall the display driver from the computer or graphics-card manufacturer.

Please also provide:

• The Excel version and build shown under File > Account > About Excel
• Whether the issue occurs in a newly created blank workbook
• Whether changing the Windows contrast theme or Office theme changes the appearance

As a temporary workaround, the newer checkbox available from Insert > Checkbox may be usable if the workbook does not specifically require legacy Form Controls or VBA integration.

Feel free reply back to this post if you need further assistance, I'll be happy to help.