Right arrow after number entry starts formula entry

I have set up an application for our club for entering scores and there is an annoying problem with use of the right arrow. Up to recently when entering a number then pressing right arrow the number entry is completed and the selection moves to the next (unlocked) cell to the right - no problem. However I have had to make a change in the formatting and now when a number is entered and the right arrow is pressed Excel behaves as if the user is creating a formula and is trying to enter the cell address of the cell to the right i.e. the number entry is not completed but there is a moving dotted line around the next cell and the address appears in the cell being entered.

Previously, until I changed the formatting, there was a zero in all unused cells, now these cells are empty. I don't know if this is responsible for the change in behaviour. (The reason for my fomatting change was that I was previously suppressing the display of zeroes so that it looked as if the future scores weren't yet entered, but this meant that the user thought that the cell would not accept a zero score e.g. when the game score was say 10 nil, since entry of zero just "disappeared" - she then entered an O - "oh" - which of course being alpha screwed up the formulae! ).

When I tried this on my home PC using the same workbook I got the normal right arrow behaviour, so I suspect there is a setting on the Club's PC which is causing this problem. Can anyone suggest what I should look for?

Thanks oldchippy (is that with fish or wood?). I don't think "Edit directly in cells" causes the problem but it may be a solution - I'll have to try it when next at the club. The reason I say it doesn't cause the problem is that I have this selected in my home PC but this doesn't exhibit the problem.

Thanks for the tip regarding data validation. I've been using Excel for years and somehow missed this feature! It will certainly help to avoid calculation errors from bad input.

Much appreciated.

I went to the club and tried deselecting "Edit directly in cells" and it didn't make any difference. (I suspected as much as this problem doesn't occur on my home PC.)

What happens is that for example I have selected cell C6. I key in the number 12 and press right arrow. Then a moving dots square appears around cell D6 and the formula bar and the cell shows 12+D6 and is still waiting for the entry to be completed. I'm not sure why the plus sign appears. What I want is that 12 should go in cell C6 and the selection move to D6. If I press Enter instead of right arrow then the correct behaviour happens (because I have selected this behaviour in Edit options). However users are used to using the right arrow and it will confuse them and also they may accidentally enter a formula (of course I can use Data Validation to stop this but then this involves an error message and may just add to the confusion and eventual frustration)

Has anyone any other ideas?

I don't think it is a formatting problem. When has a format changed the ability for a cell change from value to a formula?

It sounds like a setting. Something that would have been changed on the "club" computer but not on his personal computer.

Attaching the file, won't actually help, because if the setting isn't enabled on any of our computers, the file will work fine.

As I write this, it actually sounds like a really mean macro to mess with someone.

Hi oldchippy

I dont think its a formatting problem but it would be nice to see if it happens on someone elses PC. I have posted the file here - I had to compress it to a zip file as it wouldn't upload otherwise.

Works fine on my PC. I am still going to go with it has to be a setting somewhere. Where, I don't know.