Stop Excel Control being Clicked

Textbox hack

In a protected worksheet users can still click on checkbox and option button controls. A warning message will pop up if the control’s linked cells are locked. There is a technique you can use to stop users clicking on these controls. This involves a macro that you can run just before you protect the sheet.

Hiding Multiple Sheets in Excel Using xlVeryHidden

Flexible solution

It is easy to hide multiple sheets in Excel. Unfortunately, it now just as easy to unhide those sheets. You can hide sheets and make it harder to unhide them. You can use a setting called xlVeryHidden (no kidding) that won’t display the sheet name if you right click a sheet tab and choose unhide sheets.

Excel Data Validation Blind Spot

Macro to fix it

One of the problems with Excel’s Data Validation is that it is possible to have an invalid entry in a data validation cell. This can be caused by Paste Special Values or linked drop downs that don’t update if an earlier drop down is changed. To easily identify invalid cells you can use a macro.

Page Breaks in Excel

Turn them off

When you set your print area or use the Page Break Preview View, Excel will show you the page breaks on the grid. If this annoys or distracts you, here is how to remove them.

It’s a one-line macro that turns off the page breaks in the current sheet.

Sub TurnOffPageBreaks()
 
ActiveSheet.DisplayPageBreaks = False
 
End Sub

If you are new to macros then this blog post can take you through how to use them.

The above code can be copied and pasted into the code window.

If you want to turn page breaks off for all the sheets in the file use the code below.

Sub TurnOffAllPageBreaks()
 
Dim ws
 
For Each ws In Worksheets
 
  ws.DisplayPageBreaks = False
 
Next ws
 
End Sub

 

I hope these code snippets are useful.

Save and Close in Excel

Let's create a macro

I started using Excel in the late 80’s on a Mac. It had a Save and Close button. When I discovered VBA in Excel on the PC, the very first macro I ever made was save and close.

I thought this would be a good example to take you through creating a macro from scratch and sharing a technique to make it easy to use.

Increase Font Size in VBA Window

Easy change

Yes, you can make the text in the VBA window easier to read.

It is also great for training.

(This tip may not work on 4K monitors.)

To open the VBA Window press Alt + F11.

Click the Tools menu and then Options  – see image below.

Click the Editor Format tab and change the Size drop down to 14, or whatever you want – see image below.

Click OK and the font size will now be increased in the code window.

See below for a comparison between 10 and 14 point.

Much easier to read!

Free Webinar Recording – Recorded Macros Tips Tricks and Traps

Getting started with recorded macros

It is easy to create a recorded macro. It is not so easy to create a flexible and re-usable recorded macro. Click the materials Button below to download the pdf manual and example file.

Learn the techniques that can allow you to record effective macros that can handle different ranges and changes to sheet names.

Macros can speed up your work and reduce the time taken for tedious tasks, as well as adding functionality to Excel.

This is the first in a series of webinars dedicated to macros. Future paid sessions this month (August 2019) will expand on the techniques taught in this session. Click here to register.

CPD note – if you are claiming CPD for watching this recording you need to keep your own records. People who attend the live sessions receive an annual listing of attendances.

Download Materials

Range Names and Macros

Range names rule

When you record a macro that refers to a particular cell or range on a particular sheet in Excel the range reference is hard coded into VBA (macro) code. Unfortunately this means if rows or columns are inserted or deleted in the reference range the code is not updated. There is an easy way to get around this.

Stopping the Clipboard from being cleared in Excel VBA

How to check if the clipboard is empty

It is common knowledge (or it should be) that running a macro clears the undo list. In general you can’t undo a macro. However some macros also clear the clipboard which can stop you copying and pasting. I have found a workaround for the clipboard problem.