# MS Excel: When I press Enter, I want it to go to column 1. How?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 31, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136 "2010-08-31T14:53:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/1 "2010-08-31T14:53:58Z")
I thought that going to column 1 in Excel when one presses Enter was the default mode. On my computer, it goes to the cell beneath it.
How can I change it?
Thanks,
hh
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### Author:  [@phaemon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phaemon)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/2 "2010-08-31T15:07:34Z")
I don’t think you can, unless you set it as a Data Form. Then it should go to Column 1 (follow the instructions in Help on how to create a Data Form).
Alternatively, just press CTRL + Left Arrow after you’ve pressed Enter.
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### Author:  [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/3 "2010-08-31T15:11:42Z")
I think it depends on how you’re entering data. Starting in cell A1, type: 1 tab 1 tab 1 tab enter. You should have 1s in range A1:C1 and the active cell should be A2.
If you want to go to cell A1 from anywhere, Ctrl+Home will do. I don’t know a way other than adding VBA event code to make column 1 the active cell every time you press enter, but that behavior would drive me nuts anyway.
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### Author:  [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/4 "2010-08-31T15:22:10Z")
The default direction of every Excel program I’ve ever installed was to activate the cell {below} the current cell after the enter key was pressed.
The options menu gives you the choice of changing that to {Above} , {Left}, {Right}, as well as {below}.
I’ve changed it temporarily a few times to accommodate the way I wanted to enter some data. And then changed it back. Like the responses above, I don’t know of a way to force it to Column 1 other than a macro that keys on an enter event.
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### Author:  [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/5 "2010-08-31T15:38:24Z")
In my Excel 2003, presing HOME instantly takes you to column 1 in whatever row you are in, and pressing CTRL HOME instantly takes you to cell A1.
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### Author:  [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/6 "2010-08-31T17:02:28Z")
In my experience, clicking in a cell sets that temporarily as “home” or “first column” in your spreadsheet. So if you click in, say, C4 and type
1 tab 1 tab 1 tab enter
as in the example above, C4, C5, and C6 will contain “1” and your cursor will now be in D4. So any cell you click on becomes the new “first column”.
J.
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### Author:  [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/7 "2010-08-31T18:56:41Z")
Maybe the OP wants it done with VBA. Don’t do this if you are not familiar with macros.
But if you are, then write a macro for the Worksheet as follows
Private Sub Worksheet\_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
ActiveCell.Offset(-1, -Target.Column + 1).Activate
End Sub
in Tools | Macros | VBA Editor
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### Author:  [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-when-i-press-enter-i-want-it-to-go-to-column-1-how/552136/8 "2010-09-01T00:36:01Z")
> [@jharvey963](#):
>
> In my experience, clicking in a cell sets that temporarily as “home” or “first column” in your spreadsheet. So if you click in, say, C4 and type
>
> 1 tab 1 tab 1 tab enter
>
> as in the example above, C4, C5, and C6 will contain “1” and your cursor will now be in D4. So any cell you click on becomes the new “first column”.
>
> J.
Just checked the above and it doesn’t seem to be clicking so much as where you start from. Whether you click on C4 or use the arrow keys, typing 1 tab 1 tab 1 tab enter will end up in D4. You don’t need to enter data, either. Starting in C4 and typing tab tab tab enter will still end with D4 active.