# AAARGH!!!! Need help typing text into Excel!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 31, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430 "2004-03-31T00:23:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Do\_NOT\_sit\_next\_to\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@Do\_NOT\_sit\_next\_to\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_NOT_sit_next_to_Dennis)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430/1 "2004-03-31T00:23:01Z")

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A long time ago, on my Gateway laptop using Windows XP, I had Excel. It was a happy time, when I could click on a cell, type in my text, move on to another cell, then if I saw a mistake, go back to that cell and edit the text . . . without rewriting the entire sentance . . .

. . because there was an editor in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

For MONTHS, that precious toolbar has been missing, and I can NOT get it back! I can’t find help anywhere on Excel, or the Net. Now, if I want to go back and edit a sentence, I have to retype the whole damned thing. It’s a real pain in the ass!

Can anyone help me get that little editing bar back, so I don’t have to retype a friggin paragrah of text everyime I want to edit?

THANKS

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430/2 "2004-03-31T00:26:12Z")

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Click View\>Formula Bar

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**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430/3 "2004-03-31T00:29:46Z")

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Go to Tools, Customize, under the commands tab, click on View, click and drag Formula Bar to your menu bars. If that don’t do it, re-install or repair your office suite.

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**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430/4 "2004-03-31T02:01:09Z")

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You can also edit the text without replacing the entire contents by highlighting the cell you want and pressing F2.

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**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaargh-need-help-typing-text-into-excel/237430/5 "2004-03-31T02:03:57Z")

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You can also edit in the cell. Try double-clicking the cell you wish to edit and the cursor will appear in the cell.