Excel Drop Down Tool Menus Not Working

Question

_{Thursday, October 30, 2014 8:53 PM}

I'm working in Excel 2013 (not 365) on Windows 8.1 and the file is saved as an .xlsx

The spreadsheet I'm working on serves as an Order Form, so it's fairly involved with formatting and formulas.  It has two images, about 6 merged cells.  The Order form is not huge, about 200 rows and I do have all the rest of the spreadsheet's rows and columns set to 0 row height and column width to hide them.  So I wouldn't say it's terribly involved, unless the 0 height and width affect the spreadsheet. 

Recently, when I go to work on it and press a Drop Down Style Toolbar Button such as Format, or Borders, or Fill Color, the button will either do nothing, or if it does anything, it will show the list of items (i.e. the border options, or the colors available or the Cell Formatting options), but very faintly, as though the tools started to display and didn't quite make it.  In any event I simply can't get at some excel tools.  It also get progressively worse as I'm working on it until I can't work at all. 

However, if I open a Blank Spreadsheet the buttons work fine, BUT, only if the Order Form spreadsheet is closed.  If it's open and I open a blank spreadsheet, the blank spreadsheet will have the same problems. 

Driving me crazy!

Anyone ever run into this?

Thanks

Tim

Tim Conway

All replies (7)

_{Thursday, October 30, 2014 10:58 PM ✅Answered}

Found the answer.  Without realizing it, the spreadsheet I was working on was on Page Layout View rather than Normal View, which is found under the View Menu.  Those drop down tools don't drop down in Page Layout view, at least they don't for me, but they work just fine in Normal View.

Thanks

T

Tim Conway

_{Friday, October 31, 2014 3:41 AM}

Tim,

Thanks for sharing the answer here.

Page Layout View is to see how your printed document will look, lots of features are not supported on this view.

Regards,

Ethan Hua

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_{Thursday, January 10, 2019 9:17 AM}

Hi,

I have the exact same problem. I cannot get any excel sheet or file to open the drop-down tool menu such <g class="gr_ gr_229 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="229" id="229">as,</g> text colour, colour background, <g class="gr_ gr_222 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" data-gr-id="222" id="222">boarders</g> etc. Could it be something to do with Mojave? I am on a MAC.

I am in normal <g class="gr_ gr_322 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="322" id="322">view,</g> but tried switching as the above person has tried, but it did not work.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Paula 

_{Thursday, February 14, 2019 9:12 PM}

Hi,

I have the exact same problem. I cannot get any excel sheet or file to open the drop-down tool menu such <g class="gr_ gr_229 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="229" id="229">as,</g> text colour, colour background, <g class="gr_ gr_222 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" data-gr-id="222" id="222">boarders</g> etc. Could it be something to do with Mojave? I am on a MAC.

I am in normal <g class="gr_ gr_322 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="322" id="322">view,</g> but tried switching as the above person has tried, but it did not work.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Paula 

Changing the "view" did not fix my problem either. 

Anybody has any idea?

Thank you!

_{Friday, February 15, 2019 6:42 AM}

I would like to know as well.  I can no longer control the borders, font colors, highlighters, or change the $ to anything else.

_{Wednesday, February 27, 2019 6:23 PM}

I'm happy I'm not the only one... I'm having the same problems. 

_{Saturday, March 9, 2019 11:12 AM}

I have that problem as well. I just wonder that did you find any solution? thanks.