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Active Cell

By Ted French, About.com

Active cell in an Excel spreadsheet

Active cell in an Excel spreadsheet

© Ted French
Definition: In an Excel worksheet, the active cell is the cell with the black border. Data can only be entered into the active cell. Even if more than one cell is selected, there is still only one active cell. Use the mouse pointer or the arrow keys to change the location of the active cell.
Also Known As: Current Cell
Examples: Click on cell B3 with the mouse pointer to make it the active cell before entering the data.

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