XL: Next Comment and Previous Comment Tools May Not Work

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, if you click the Next Comment or Previous Comment tool on the Reviewing toolbar, the next or previous comment in the worksheet may not appear on the screen.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:

• You have hidden all objects from view by following these steps:

      1. On the Tools menu, click Options or Preferences. Click the View
         tab.
  

      2. Under Objects, click Hide All, and then click OK.
  

      -and-
  

• You have deleted a comment from the worksheet by right-clicking the cell or by pressing CONTROL and clicking the cell, and then clicking Delete Comment on the shortcut menu, or by clicking the Delete Comment tool on the Reviewing toolbar.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options or Preferences. Click the View tab.

2. Click Show All or Show Placeholders, and then click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, you can use the tools on the Reviewing toolbar to work with comments in a worksheet.

Because comments are similar to drawing objects, displaying comments is affected when you click Hide All in the View tab of the Options dialog box. As long as you do not delete any comments, you can use the tools on the Reviewing toolbar to browse through the comments in a worksheet.

However, once you delete a comment, you must cancel the selection of Hide All. If you do not do this, the Reviewing tools do not work correctly. This problem continues until you quit and restart Microsoft Excel.