How To Lock and Unlock the Scroll Lock in Excel?

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In Microsoft Excel, the Scroll Lock key is used to control the behavior of the arrow keys while navigating through cells. When Scroll Lock is turned on, pressing an arrow key causes the sheet to move instead of the active cell.

Here’s how you can lock and unlock the Scroll Lock in Excel:

Method 1: Using the Scroll Lock Key

  1. Locate the Scroll Lock Key:
    • On most keyboards, the Scroll Lock key is located in the top row, typically near the right side. It may be labeled as “ScrLk” or “Scroll Lock.” Sometimes, you may need to use the “Fn” key in combination with another key to activate Scroll Lock.
  2. Toggle the Scroll Lock:
    • Press the Scroll Lock key to toggle it on or off. You might need to check if there’s an indicator light on your keyboard to see the status.

Method 2: Using On-Screen Keyboard

  1. Open the On-Screen Keyboard:
    • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
    • Type osk and press Enter to open the On-Screen Keyboard.
  2. Toggle Scroll Lock:
    • If you don’t see the Scroll Lock key on your physical keyboard, you can use the On-Screen Keyboard to toggle it.

Method 3: Using Excel Options

  1. Open Excel Options:
    • Click on the “File” tab in Excel.
    • Select “Options” at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options:
    • In the Excel Options dialog, go to the “Advanced” category on the left.
  3. Toggle Scroll Lock:
    • Scroll down to the “Display options for this workbook” section.
    • Check or uncheck the “Show sheet tabs” option to toggle Scroll Lock for the active workbook.

Method 4: Using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications)

If you want to use a more programmatic approach, you can use VBA. Here’s an example VBA code to toggle Scroll Lock:

Sub ToggleScrollLock()
Application.SendKeys "{SCROLLLOCK}", True
End Sub

You can run this code in the VBA editor (Alt + F11) or assign it to a button or shortcut.

Choose the method that suits your preference and the tools you have available.