Simple Excel problem - number pad giving directions

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Out of the blue, my number pad switched from giving numbers to navigating around the spreadsheet. That is, the 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 keys function like arrow keys. I know the answer is staring me in the face, but I can't see through the egg.

I've looked at my keyboard, tried the Insert key, looked through Excel preferences too. I can't find the right key or button to hit. Help! I want numbers; I have arrow keys already.
 
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Wow! No one on this forum uses Excel?

New information: I noticed that the number pad works fine in Calculator. So, I opened a Numbers file, and it worked fine there too. It has to be an Excel thing.

Also, I did mess with the Num Lock key, but that did not change anything. I'm not sure my Num Lock key does anything at all. There is a light on the keyboard for it, but that is always off, no matter how many times I hit Num Lock. The light goes off and on for Caps Lock however.
 

chscag

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I have Office installed but no longer mess with Excel. I'm strictly a Word and Powerpoint user. However, it does sound like your keyboard may have gone south on you. Do you have another you can try, one with a numeric keypad? Also, you might try a SMC and PRAM reset although I don't think either will work if the keyboard is having problems.
 
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You have Num Lock turned off. That lets you use the 2, 4, 6, 8 as arrow buttons.

This only works if Scroll Lock is off and Num Lock is off.
 
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Thanks for the input. I'll play around with those tonight and see if I can get it to behave. The interesting thing is that in Numbers, I get numbers... without touching Num Lock after just getting arrow key behavior in Excel. I do not have a spare USB keyboard to try, unfortunately.
 
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No luck. No matter what I do with Num Lock and Scroll Lock, the number pad is stuck in "arrow mode" in Excel. Yet I still can get numbers out of it in Numbers. This must be an Excel issue. As I've used the number pad in Excel for years, some setting must have gotten changed. I have not installed anything new in quite some time, so that's ruled out. This is very puzzling, and annoying.
 
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Well, that's how I figured it out by playing with it on my work computer.

Windows 7 Enterprise with Excel 2007 using a standard HP keyboard. Maybe the Num Lock or Scroll Lock key is broken and stuck in the "Off" option.
 
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Maybe the Num Lock or Scroll Lock key is broken and stuck in the "Off" option.

That could explain why I'm having this problem in Excel. But, it wouldn't explain why I'm not having the problem in Numbers.

(Come to think of it, neither would the suggestion in the link in that other post...)
 
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Try pressing shift-clear, or shift-F14, depending on the keyboard.
 
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Well, I can give that a try. Is this some sort of keyboard shortcut for something?
 
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It's an Excel shortcut. Changes numpad from input to directional and back.
This is so you don't have to remove your hand from the keypad.
 
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Try pressing shift-clear, or shift-F14, depending on the keyboard.

Well I don't have a "clear" key or F14, but Shift-NumLock did the trick!

Now the real trick will be remembering that the next time it accidently gets switched a year or two from now.

Thanks for the inspiration! :)
 
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Glad you got it. Must be using an older keyboard? On my old Macally Numlock/Clear is the same key and is marked as such.
 
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Glad you got it. Must be using an older keyboard? On my old Macally Numlock/Clear is the same key and is marked as such.

Well, old is a relative term. I am much older than the keyboard, but it was purchased in 2007. It's from Matais, and one of its quirks is that they "printed" the Command and Option symbols on the wrong keys! I switched the functions so that I press the key and get what I want instead of having to remember to reverse it every time. (Yeah, so my command symbol is with the "Alt" and the option symbol is with the "Start".)
 

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