Scroll Bars and Scroll Lock
The scroll bars move your view. Scroll Lock changes what the arrow keys do, and causes a lot of confusion.
Why Are My Arrow Keys Scrolling?
Normally arrow keys move the active cell. With Scroll Lock on, they scroll the whole screen instead and the cell never moves. It is the classic mystery.
- Arrows move the cell — Normal behaviour
- Scroll Lock is on — Arrows scroll the screen
- Press Scroll Lock — Normal behaviour returns
How to do it
Press the Scroll Lock key or use the On-Screen Keyboard if your laptop has no such key
The status bar shows Scroll Lock when it is on — one of the reasons to keep that indicator switched on.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Vertical scroll bar | Moves up and down |
| Horizontal scroll bar | Moves left and right |
| Scroll bar size | Hints at how much data there is |
| Scroll Lock | Makes arrows scroll, not move |
Normal vs Scroll Lock
Press Scroll Lock ▸ arrow keys go back to moving the active cell
| Scroll Lock | Arrow keys | Active cell |
|---|---|---|
| Off (normal) | Move the active cell | Moves |
| On | Scroll the whole view | Stays put |
| Laptop with no key | Use On-Screen Keyboard | Same fix |
Result: Scroll Lock
If arrow keys suddenly scroll instead of moving, Scroll Lock is the answer nine times out of ten.
Do this
- Turn on the Scroll Lock indicator in the status bar
- Use the On-Screen Keyboard on a laptop
- Check the scroll bar size to spot a bloated used range
Avoid
- Assuming Excel is broken when arrows scroll
- Not knowing Scroll Lock exists
- Ignoring a tiny scroll bar on a small sheet
Practice
- Turn Scroll Lock on and try the arrow keys.
- Turn it off again.
- Add the Scroll Lock indicator to your status bar.
- Excel needs restarting
- Scroll Lock is switched on
- The file is corrupt
Show answer
Press Scroll Lock, or use the On-Screen Keyboard if your laptop has no key. — This is the single most common Excel mystery, and it has a one key fix.
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