On this page · 10 sections
- Which versions these steps cover
- Is it Scroll Lock or something else?
- How to turn off Scroll Lock with the ScrLk key (Windows)
- How to turn off Scroll Lock without a Scroll Lock key
- How to turn off Scroll Lock in Excel for Mac
- Worked example: test Scroll Lock in 30 seconds
- Troubleshooting
- For IT teams and businesses
- How eCorpIT can help
- References
Summary. To turn off Scroll Lock in Excel, press the Scroll Lock key once; it is often labelled ScrLk. When it is off, Scroll Lock disappears from the Excel status bar and the arrow keys move from cell to cell again instead of scrolling the sheet. If your keyboard has no Scroll Lock key, use the Windows On-Screen Keyboard: in Windows 11 go to Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, turn on On-Screen Keyboard and click ScrLk (Windows 10 uses Ease of Access > Keyboard). In Excel for Mac, Microsoft's shortcut list gives Shift+F14, with Control, Option or Command in place of Shift on some keyboards, and says a MacBook may need a plugged-in USB keyboard for the F14 combination. Microsoft's Scroll Lock steps apply to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016. If the arrow keys still misbehave, check the status bar for three lookalike modes: Extend Selection (F8), Add to Selection (Shift+F8) and End Mode (the End key).
About this article. For anyone whose arrow keys suddenly scroll the sheet in Excel, and for IT teams that field the ticket. We checked every step, label and shortcut on 15 November 2026 against Microsoft Support's Excel and On-Screen Keyboard help, Microsoft Learn's release and lifecycle pages, and Apple, Lenovo and ATEN documentation. Key combinations vary by keyboard model; no vendor paid for inclusion. Researched with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.
Unlocking Scroll Lock in Excel means the same as turning it off; the steps below cover keyboards with and without the key.
Which versions these steps cover
On 15 November 2026 the newest releases are Microsoft 365 Apps Current Channel Version 2610 (Build 20527.20196) and Office for Mac 16.115, both from 10 November 2026, and Windows 11 version 26H2 (29 September 2026). Excel 2016 and 2019 lost support on 14 October 2025 and Excel 2021 retired on 13 October 2026; the steps still work there, without updates. Windows 10, out of support since 14 October 2025, uses a different Settings path, given below.
Is it Scroll Lock or something else?
Check the status bar at the bottom of the Excel window before pressing anything; each mode shows its own label there.
| Status bar shows | What the arrow keys do | Turn it off with |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll Lock | Scroll the sheet one row or column; the active cell does not move | ScrLk key, or ScrLk on the On-Screen Keyboard |
| Extend Selection | Extend the highlighted range instead of moving | Press F8 again |
| Add to Selection | Add a non-adjacent cell or range to the selection | Press Shift+F8 again |
| End Mode | The next arrow press jumps to the next non-blank cell | Press End again, or press an arrow key once |
| Nothing unusual, but arrows still scroll | Scroll Lock may be on with its indicator hidden | Right-click the status bar and tick Scroll Lock |
The Scroll Lock indicator is selected by default but can be switched off. If someone customised your status bar, right-click it and tick Scroll Lock.
How to turn off Scroll Lock with the ScrLk key (Windows)
- Find the Scroll Lock key. Many full-size keyboards have a dedicated one near the other system keys, often in a group with Print Screen and Pause.
- Press ScrLk (also printed as Scroll Lock) once.
- Check that Scroll Lock has gone from Excel's status bar.
- Press an arrow key. The cell reference in the Name Box, at the left end of the formula bar, should now change.
Compact keyboards may drop the key and put Scroll Lock on a function layer, reached with Fn plus another key that depends on the keyboard. On Lenovo's ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 and X13 Gen 1, for example, Fn+K does the job of ScrLk. Lenovo also notes that a function-layer Scroll Lock can be switched on by accident while aiming for another shortcut. Our laptop screenshot guide covers the same Fn quirk for Print Screen. Otherwise, use the On-Screen Keyboard.
How to turn off Scroll Lock without a Scroll Lock key
Windows 11:
- Select Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
- Turn on the On-Screen Keyboard toggle.
- On the keyboard that appears, click ScrLk, then check that Scroll Lock has gone from Excel's status bar.
- Close the On-Screen Keyboard with the X in its upper-right corner.
A faster route: select Start, type On-Screen Keyboard and select the result.
Windows 10: select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, turn on Use the On-Screen Keyboard, then click ScrLk.
If you cannot see ScrLk: the On-Screen Keyboard has two layouts. Nav shows only navigation keys such as Tab, Enter, Space and the arrows, while General is the full keyboard. Microsoft says the keyboard reopens in whichever layout was used last, so if it opens in Nav, select the General key to bring ScrLk back.
You can also open it from the Windows 11 sign-in screen with the Accessibility button in the lower-right corner.
How to turn off Scroll Lock in Excel for Mac
Excel for Mac toggles Scroll Lock with a function-key combination: the macOS tab of Microsoft's Excel shortcuts page lists Shift+F14.
- Make sure Excel is the active app.
- Press Shift+F14.
- If nothing changes, try Control+F14, Option+F14 or Command+F14; Microsoft says the modifier depends on your keyboard type. On an Apple keyboard, Apple says holding Fn (or Globe) while pressing a function key makes it act as a standard function key.
- Press an arrow key to confirm the active cell moves.
On a MacBook, Microsoft says you might need to plug in a USB keyboard to use the F14 combination; the same applies to any keyboard without an F14 key.
Worked example: test Scroll Lock in 30 seconds
Set up a numbered column so you can see whether the sheet scrolls or the cell moves. Fill Down (Ctrl+D) copies the top cell of a selected range into the cells below.
| Cell | Enter | Result after filling down |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 1 | 1 |
| A2 | =A1+1 | 2 |
| A3 to A100 | Fill A2 down (select A2:A100, press Ctrl+D) | 3 to 100 |
Our guide on how to number rows in Excel covers other ways to build the sequence.
With row 1 at the top of the window, click cell B5 and press the Down Arrow once:
- Scroll Lock off: the Name Box changes to B6 and the view stays put.
- Scroll Lock on: the Name Box still shows B5, row 1 leaves the top of the window, and the first visible value in column A is now 2.
Scroll Lock has deliberate uses too. With it on, Ctrl plus an arrow key moves quickly through large areas of the sheet, and Home jumps to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window. To keep headings visible while you scroll, freeze rows or columns.
Troubleshooting
- The status bar shows nothing and the arrows still scroll: right-click the status bar, tick Scroll Lock, and check whether it was on all along.
- Arrow keys select ranges instead of moving: that is Extend Selection from F8, not Scroll Lock. Press F8 once more.
- The keyboard's Scroll Lock light stays on: that indicator shows Scroll Lock is active. Microsoft documents only the key and the On-Screen Keyboard for turning it off.
For IT teams and businesses
Users on laptops or compact keyboards often cannot find the key, which turns a one-key fix into a help desk ticket. A few steps help:
- Standardise keyboards for heavy Excel users. Full-size keyboards with a dedicated Scroll Lock key, and an F14 key for Mac users, remove the guesswork.
- Add the On-Screen Keyboard route to your help desk script. It is built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, opens from the sign-in screen too, and can stand in for a physical keyboard.
- Check KVM switches. Some use Scroll Lock as their hotkey: ATEN's CS62US and CS64US manual starts every port switch with two taps of it and offers an alternative key pair. If one desk keeps reporting the problem, check the switch's hotkey settings.
- Keep the status bar default. If you deploy Excel with customised settings, leave the Scroll Lock indicator on so users can self-diagnose.
How eCorpIT can help
eCorpIT is a Gurugram-based technology organisation, founded in 2021, assessed at CMMI Level 5 and MSME certified, with senior-led engineering teams working across AWS, Microsoft and Google platforms. Our data and analytics services team helps finance and operations teams move heavy spreadsheet work into governed reporting. Talk to us at /contact-us/.
Last updated: 15 November 2026.
