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I'm not sure whether this is a feature but it's very irritating. When you double click on a border of a selected cell, you go to the end of the list depending on which side of the selected cell you double clicked on. How do you disable this?

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  • I tried to cancel the double-click with VBA into the BeforeDoubleClick event but it is not triggered when the border is double-clicked... sadness...
    – Mik
    Nov 20, 2017 at 9:40
  • See also: answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/… (short answer: can't be done)
    – WBT
    Aug 15, 2018 at 13:46

4 Answers 4

16

The feature can be turned off, fortunately.

In Excel 2013, (for Excel 2010, which you have, see below) File > Options > Advanced > uncheck "Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop". If you don't need to use those features and are OK with unchecking that checkbox, then this solution will work for you.

In Excel 2010,

"1. Go to File > Options > Advanced > Enable file handle and cell drag-and-drop 2. Check this box. 3. Click OK and you’re done" (source: http://reviewofweb.com/how-to/enable-cell-drag-and-drop-excel-2010/)

I tested this solution in Excel 2013 and it works immediately after unchecking the box and saving. The change that you see is that with the checkbox checked, and with a cell selected, the "plus sign" cursor converts to a four-arrow cursor (arrows that have ends in center and each point along axis -- i.e. up, down, left, and right). With the checkbox off, that arrow cursor never appears. Also, of course, if you double-click the selected cell edge, you are not navigated to the bottom of your section, automatically.

Source for looking at this checkbox in the first place: rhapsodie's comment in: http://ask.metafilter.com/55958/Excel-mindless-list-jumping

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  • 22
    This works, but unfortunately, I DO want the fill-handle and drag-and-drop, but I DON'T want the double-click. Chances are, when I double-click a cell, it's because I want to edit it, not jump to the end of the table and lose my place. (And if I do, Ctrl-Arrow is simple enough.) Is there really no way to separate these features? Sep 10, 2014 at 2:19
  • 13
    Nope, and years later the idiots at Microsoft still haven't addressed this nightmare of a "feature."
    – Keith
    Dec 1, 2017 at 15:09
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I don't have a solitution other than using F2 to stop this functionality, but to go back to where I was I use Control Z. It at least puts me back to where I was when this annoying feature "aided" me in my endeavors.

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  • 1
    I thought this was the answer but it's not ideal as it undoes your previous change (like ctrl-z should) but it's unclear as you've scrolled away so can't see the change be undone. Such a stupid feature not to have a "navigate back" keyboard shortcut.
    – theyetiman
    Jan 30, 2020 at 16:07
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Mikes answer works but unfortunately you you lose both the irritating double click feature but also your drag and fill.

Alternative solution - Get out of the habit of double clicking a cell. If you just left click a cell and start typing on your keyboard you should be able to just go ahead and edit the cell.

I am used to double clicking (don't know why) but simple left click works.

Edit: A single left click on a cell followed by typing will overwrite the cell's contents. F2 will allow you to edit in the cell. Alternatively, double left click followed by typing will insert what you typed at the cursor location when you did the double click.

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    Double click is important to paste unformatted text from the clipboard. Off course you can use F2, but it's more difficult to operate F2 and ctrl + v shortcut, by one hand quickly.
    – Skamielina
    Nov 18, 2016 at 11:58
  • 5
    You still need double click to place the caret at a desired point in a big cell full of text.
    – Rag
    Feb 4, 2018 at 20:10
-1

if you don't need to turn off fill handle, you have to take care when the cursor turns on black cross, this means you are going to move to the end of list. move back until the cross is white again and only editing will work

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  • 3
    If we click the border, this is because we work fast. Although this "solution" seems obvious, it requires the user to concentrate on the use of the application instead of on his own work.
    – Mik
    Nov 20, 2017 at 9:46

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