• September 11, 2016
    Announcement: Welcome to the updated Office forum

    Effective September 10th, Office, Office for Mac*, and Office 365 for business* forums are consolidated into a new, single Office forum category. We are excited for this change to further simplify community support for all Office customers, regardless of version or subscription method. Besides the forums consolidation the forum topics within the Office category were organized first by services, applications, and key topics, next by platform or device, and finally by Office version.

    Want more information on these changes? Check out this video, review the FAQ, or join the conversation in the Community Participation Center forum.

    We look forward to your Office questions, participation, and expertise in this new forum. 

    *Forum topics available in limited languages.

 
Question
10360 views

Mac 2008 Excel Formula bar not docking

frustrated6110 asked on
My formula bar will no longer dock within my workbook. I did not change any settings, but about a week ago it started floating in the workbook. I have tried dragging it slowly toward the menu bar. It doesn't snap in. I have tried deleting my toolbar preferences in the Microsoft system preferences. I cannot get it to redock. Does anyone have any suggestions?
23 people had this question

Abuse history


The answered status icon Answer

If you're having difficulty getting the Formatting Toolbar to float, see the first suggestion in my most recent reply. That's exactly how I constructed Excel here in order to provide the screen shot.

You can then size & position it just like you do with other floating toolbars & the Formula Bar. [The main difference is that you can also drag the corner down in order to create more of a palette effect or even make the toolbar totally vertical.]

Please mark HELPFUL or ANSWERED as appropriate to keep list as clean as possible ☺
Regards,
Bob J.
1 person found this helpful

Abuse history


The Formula Bar does not dock in the document window in Excel 2008... Never did :-) It wasn't integrated into the document window until Excel 2011, and in that version it cannot be made to float.

In Excel 2008 you can dock the Formula Bar immediately below the main Menu Bar, though. Use the left end to drag it slowly toward the Menu Bar until it 'snaps' into position. If necessary the document window will shift down to accommodate it.
Please mark HELPFUL or ANSWERED as appropriate to keep list as clean as possible ☺
Regards,
Bob J.
6 people found this helpful

Abuse history


frustrated6110 replied on

Thanks Bob. I must have mis-remembered where exactly it was before.
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


MarkRuseler replied on

Hi Bob

I have had this same problem with my Excel 2008 v 12.3.6  I can assure you that my formula bar was docked and has been for the past few years. Then one day a couple of weeks ago I launched Excel and hey presto the formula bar had disappeared. Then when I ticked the formula bar it came back but was floating and will NOT dock, snap, click or even jump into position below (or anywhere else) the main menu. So now when you minimise a spreadsheet the pesky formula bar stays on the screen, and is really really annoying. 

Please Help...
4 people found this helpful

Abuse history


Trynittee. replied on

Hi Bob,

I have used Excel for over 15 years on both PC and Mac.  The formula bar has *always* been docked.  This bar is a legacy attribute and has been around for over a decade.  I am perplexed by your comment that it never did. 

Can someone else weigh in on this?  It is annoying to have the formula bar float around when it never used to....


Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


I did not say it could not be docked, I said it never docked in the document window in the Mac versions of the program. Well, they say "seeing is believing" :-)

Excel 2004, 2008

Excel 2001

Excel 98

Excel for Mac v1.0

The Formula Bar has been external of the document window in Mac Excel from the start. It wasn't until the Windows crowd got their hands on the program that the FB & every toolbar were replicated into multiple document windows.

BTW: Congrats on the 15 years... It's 30 for me :-)
Please mark HELPFUL or ANSWERED as appropriate to keep list as clean as possible ☺
Regards,
Bob J.
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


A---B replied on
I used to be able to put the formula bar fields into my general toolbar using customise toolbars.

Since an update, I can no longer do this.

Other replies say this was never an option.
It was an option - any work arounds??

I HATE the floating formula bar.
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


What specific "formula bar fields" are you referring to?

Please post a New Question & provide all particulars including your version & update level of Mac Office.

The Formula Bar in Excel 2008 has only 2 controls: the Name Box & the Editing Bar [which includes a button for launching the Formula Builder]. Neither has ever been available for copying/adding to other toolbars. Although the Formula Bar is in the Command Bar category it isn't treated the same as a toolbar. It isn't customizable nor are its controls in the Commands list.


Please mark HELPFUL or ANSWERED as appropriate to keep list as clean as possible ☺
Regards,
Bob J.
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


A---B replied on

I mainly did my spreadsheets on my old eMac running on MacOSX 10.5 which has just died, so perhaps I had excel 2005 or even earlier on that!

I could always put the name box and the editing box into my formatting toolbar from the <View> menu then <Customise Toolbars and Menus>

Now, I have the same fields in a floating toolbar which gets lost behind my windows and is stuck over the top of my window and is awkward to type into!

It will not lock or 'dock' onto my toolbars as you suggested before.

Excel 2008 for Mac Version 12.3.6
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


I sincerely don't mean to be contradictory or argumentative but I simply do not have any recollection of being able to do what you describe. I've used every version of Excel for both Mac & Windows but I sure don't claim to remember every nuance of each one :-) At any rate, even if I'm misremembering, the inability to customize has been in play since Excel 2004 (v11.x) & remains the same through Excel 2011.

I still have Excel 2004 installed & have confirmed that there is no customizability of the Formula Bar nor are its components available to be added to any of the Toolbars. In fact, while the Custom dialog is displayed the Formula Bar is rendered inactive. As I mentioned before, it is a special case which is why it is listed separately in the View menu & isn't included in the Customize dialog's Menus & Toolbars list.

Is it possible that what you recall is being able to 'snap' the Formula Bar to the end of another floating toolbar? That wouldn't require going into the Customize dialog but it might give the impression that it was part of the same bar. The same can be done in Excel 2008 but the Formatting & Standard Toolbars are docked by default although each can be 'un-docked' if you wish.

As for the 'here & now' of Excel 2008, please reread my initial reply to the originator of this conversation. The easiest way to get the Formula Bar anchored at the top of the screen is to first move it to another position & move the document window as far as possible up toward the Menu Bar. Then drag the Formula Bar up toward the bottom edge of the Menu Bar until the instant the document window shifts down. Unfortunately it is possible to drag it too far ups so that it partially disappears behind the Menu Bar, so releasing at the right time can be a little touchy.

I don't understand what you mean by "...gets lost behind my windows" though. The Formula Bar should remain visible regardless of how many Excel document windows are open. That should be the case regardless of whether it's fixed below the Menu Bar or floating. However, it will disappear if the focus is shifted to a different application window or to the Desktop... That can't be avoided.

Have you considered upgrading to Office 2011? I believe you may prefer the way the Formula bar is displayed within each document window in that version. It's also [IMO] a preferable version in many other respects.


Please mark HELPFUL or ANSWERED as appropriate to keep list as clean as possible ☺
Regards,
Bob J.
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history


A---B replied on

Thanks Bob,
The formula bar does stay at the top of my screen and goes on top of my window if I move it.

I can't get a screen shot of my old version because my eMac is now in bits on my desk. It may even have been '97!!!  :)

I always had the name box then the formula field on the left of the font and font size boxes on my formatting toolbar. It was so much easier to see when I was entering data, and it fitted another 2 rows of my spreadsheet into the screen.

Anne

PS I really don't want to spend more money to upgrade when all I do is basic accounting spreadsheets.
Be the first person to mark this helpful

Abuse history