April 3, 2026•1 min read•from Microsoft Excel | Help & Support with your Formula, Macro, and VBA problems | A Reddit Community

CTRL + [ shortcut has stopped working

Our take

Navigating legacy spreadsheets can be challenging, especially when they come with outdated formulas and hidden complexities. If you're facing issues with the CTRL + [ shortcut, which should take you to source cells but instead redirects you elsewhere, you're not alone. Many users encounter similar frustrations with long-standing files that require maintenance without a complete rebuild. The F5 shortcut's failure to return to the original cell only adds to the challenge. Let’s explore potential solutions to restore your functionality and streamline your workflow efficiently.

Help me… I have a file that I inherited that is a million years old, but my boss is committed to keeping the same file, same format, just rolling it over year after year after year. As such, there are formula names, references, hidden tabs, all sorts of junk that are clogging up the file and causing me all sorts of issues. I’m muddling through and fixing what I can, but this new issue is a real pain that I need solved asap.

The file has stopped letting me use the CTRL + [ shortcut to go to the source cell - this is now bringing me to the last tab of the workbook.

The F5 shortcut to return to the original cell is also no longer working.

I don’t have the time right now to rebuild this file from scratch, so I’m hoping someone on here knows more about this issue than I do.

Help me r/excel. You’re my only hope.

submitted by /u/miss_kp
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{Ctrl+W} -- 'Close file' or 'Hide column'I have been issues with Excel lately, in that {Alt+F} or selecting File is taking longer and longer to display. (I usually have 20-30 excel files open, and it appears that something in the File Screen iterates through the open files in the manner of 1, 1,2, 1,2,3, 1,2,3,4, etc. -- not as bad as a n² or n! type of programming issue, but it's still extremely frustrating. ) To avoid this, switched from {Alt+F}, C to {Ctrl+W}. Today, Excel switched from {Ctrl+W} closing the file to instead hiding the column of the currently selected cell (s). Is this MS being "helpful" and messing with functionality? Or did I inadvertently change a setting somewhere and break it myself? Windows 10 Pro, OS Build 19045.6456 Microsoft® Excel® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2603 Build 16.0.19822.20086) 64-bit submitted by /u/-Zlosk- [link] [comments]

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