XL2000: Pointer Is an Hourglass When You Display a Message Box

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This article was previously published under Q213538

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro in Microsoft Excel, if the macro uses the MsgBox function to display a message box on the screen, the pointer may appear as an hourglass or as the arrow pointer. When you dismiss the message box, the pointer behaves normally again.

This behavior may lead you to believe that Microsoft Excel has stopped responding, or is waiting for some event to occur.

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CAUSE

When you display a message box, the pointer behaves slightly differently in Microsoft Excel 2000 than it does in versions of Microsoft Excel earlier than Excel 97.

When you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro, if you use the MsgBox function to display a message box on the screen, macro processing halts for as long as the message box remains on the screen. When you click OK, the macro continues to run.

NOTE: If you run the macro from within the Visual Basic Editor, or if you run the macro by clicking a toolbar button, the pointer does not appear as an hourglass.

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RESOLUTION

If the pointer appears as an hourglass when you display a message box in Microsoft Excel, move the pointer inside the message box.

NOTE: If the pointer changes into a arrow pointer, and you can click a button in the message box, Microsoft Excel is behaving normally.

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MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

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Example Macro

The following macro displays a message box:

Sub ShowMessageBox()
    MsgBox "This is a message box."
End Sub

To see the change in behavior, run the macro in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0, and Microsoft Excel 2000.

When you run the macro in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0, the pointer appears as a normal arrow pointer without regard to where you position it on the screen.

In Microsoft Excel 2000, the pointer appears as a normal arrow pointer only when you position it inside the message box. Otherwise, it appears as an hourglass. When you click OK, the pointer behaves normally again.

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Pointer Behavior

To properly reflect the fact that other macro processing halts temporarily, Microsoft Excel changes the pointer to an hourglass. The pointer appears as an hourglass when the following conditions are true:

A message box is displayed on the screen.

-and-
You do not position the pointer inside the message box.

-and-
You position the pointer inside the Microsoft Excel window.

-and-
You did not run the macro from within the Visual Basic Editor or by clicking a toolbar button.

If you position the pointer inside the message box, the pointer is changed back into the normal arrow pointer. When you click OK, the pointer behaves normally.

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