Scroll Lock may be enabled, causing the arrow keys to scroll the worksheet instead of moving cells, which can be confirmed through the status bar and pressed the ScrLk key to close; 2. Excel may be in "end mode", displaying "END" in the status bar, just press Esc key to exit; 3. Keyboard navigation may be set or plug-in restrictions, please check Excel advanced options and plug-ins to ensure that you use the desktop version for full functionality.

If your arrow keys aren't working in Excel, it's usually not a hardware issue — more often than not, Excel has simply entered a special mode or there's a setting interfering with normal navigation. The good news is that most of these issues are quick and easy to fix.

Scroll Lock Might Be Enabled

One of the most common reasons arrow keys stop working as expected in Excel is that Scroll Lock is turned on. When Scroll Lock is active, pressing the arrow keys scrolls the worksheet instead of moving between cells.

To check if Scroll Lock is enabled:

• Look at the status bar at the bottom of the Excel window. If you see "Scroll Lock" listed there, that means it's on.
• To turn it off, press the Scroll Lock key on your keyboard (usually labeled "ScrLk"). On some laptops where there's no dedicated key, you might need to use a function key combination like Fn Shift C or similar — check your laptop manual for specifics.

If you're unsure whether your keyboard has a Scroll Lock key or how to access it, try toggling it using an on-screen keyboard utility or third-party tool.

Excel Is in "End Mode"

Another common reason for unexpected arrow key behavior is that Excel is stuck in End Mode . This happens when you press the End key once or multiple times, which prepares Excel to navigate to the edge of a data region.

You'll know you're in this mode if you see “END” appears in the status bar. In this state, arrow keys don't move cell selection normally.

To get out of End Mode:

• Simply press Esc once. That should return Excel to normal navigation mode.
• Avoid accidentally triggering End Mode by being mindful when pressing the End key, especially during fast data entry.

This is a temporary state and doesn't require any changes to settings — just a quick escape key press fixes it.

Keyboard Navigation Is Disabled or Limited

In some cases, Excel might behave oddly due to customized settings or add-ins interfering with default keyboard behavior.

Check the following:

• Go to File > Options > Advanced , and make sure the option "After pressing Enter, move selection" is checked and direction is set correctly (usually down).
• Ensure no accessibility tools or Excel add-ins are overriding keyboard shortcuts. You can test this by launching Excel in safe mode (hold Ctrl while opening Excel) and checking if arrow keys work normally there.

Also, if you're using Excel Online or a version running on a mobile device, arrow keys may not behave the same way — so double-check that you're using the desktop version if full keyboard navigation is important.

That's usually what causes arrow keys to stop working in Excel. Most of the time, one quick key press like Scroll Lock or Esc will bring things back to normal. It's not complicated, but it can be confusing if you've never seen it before.

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