ActiveX Textbox BackColor

Hey everyone,

I'm wondering if it's possible to set the BackColor of an ActiveX textbox to transparent? I have the BackStyle set to transparent, which is great since it will be transparent when not selected so you can see the color of the cell behind it, but once you select it to type in it, the BackColor overrides the cell behind it.

Right now, I have a sheet where the color of a cell changes to green if the textbox needs input from a user. If I have the BackColor set to white, the cell behind will change to green so the user knows they need to enter something in the textbox, but once they click the textbox, it goes white and may confuse them.
On the other hand, if I change the BackColor to green, it works great when the user clicks the correct textboxes, but if the user clicks the wrong textbox, it will 'incorrectly' turn green which may make the user believe they need to enter something in the textbox.

I need to make the form dummy proof so I have to cover all my bases, even down to something this seemingly silly!

Hi Heather.. It would be a good idea to upload a file so people can see what you mean

Here is an example sheet. Thank you for your reply and recommendation to include an example!

I forgot to mention some items regarding the example I posted.
A) It doesn't look exactly like the official finished one I have with all the data, of course, so it's not lined up perfectly. I just threw it together for an example.
B) We use Excel 2003 at work, which is the version that this file will be used on, so the greens actually match on that one. I noticed they don't match on my home Excel 2010 version.
C) To view when the colors change, you'll need to change one of the drop downs to a different app such as app2 or app5.

Thanks again for looking at my post!

I thought of a better option that may be more feasible. Is there a way to lock an ActiveX textbox from being clicked unless another cell on the worksheet indicates that entry in the textbox is required?

Hi Heather.. I haven't done anything with drop down lists. I can do a standard drop down, like yours, but not anything flash. I'd have to search to find an answer too. Sorry

Heather - did you ever figure this out? If so, will you please share the info? I am trying to do the same thing and would appreciate it. Thanks.