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Microsoft Excel 2003/2004

Working with Comments

Comments are notes that are inserted into your worksheet. Comments can be used for many things including adding notes for other users, adding reminders for yourself, and creating cross-references to other reports.

return to topThe Reviewing Toolbar

The Reviewing toolbar is used to edit, navigate through, display/hide, and delete comments.

To display the Reviewing toolbar:

Windows:

  1. From the View menu, select Toolbars » Reviewing
    The Reviewing toolbar appears.
    Reviewing toolbar

Macintosh:

  1. From the View menu, select Toolbars » Reviewing
    The Reviewing toolbar appears.
    Reviewing toolbar

return to topAdding Comments

Adding a comment to a cell allows you place additional information within that cell. The comment, along with the username of the person who inserted the comment, appears when you point to the cell.

Adding Comments: Menu Option

  1. Select the cell to which the comment will be added

  2. From the Insert menu, select Comment
    The Comment box appears with your username.

  3. Type your comment

  4. Click another cell
    A red triangle appears in the upper right-hand corner of the cell indicating a comment has been attached. When you place your mouse over the cell, the comment appears.

Cell with comment Text of comment revealed
cell with comment comment box

Adding Comments: Mouse Menu

  1. Windows: Right click the cell to which you want to add a comment » select Insert Comment
    Macintosh: Press [control] + click the cell to which you want to add a comment » select Insert Comment
    The Comment box appears with your username.

  2. Type your comment

  3. Click another cell
    A red triangle appears in the upper right-hand corner of the cell indicating a comment has been attached. When you place your mouse over the cell, the comment appears.

Adding Comments: Toolbar Option

  1. Select the cell to which the comment will be added

  2. On the Reviewing toolbar, click NEW COMMENTNew Comment button
    The Comment box appears with your username.

  3. Type your comment

  4. Click another cell
    A red triangle appears in the upper right-hand corner of the cell indicating a comment has been attached. When you place your mouse over the cell, the comment appears.

return to topEditing Comments

Editing a comment allows you to add to or change the information you have placed within a cell as a comment.

Editing Comments: Menu Option

  1. Select the cell that contains the comment to be edited

  2. From the Insert menu, select Edit Comment
    The Comment box appears.

  3. Make the appropriate changes to the comment

  4. Click another cell

Editing Comments: Mouse Option

  1. Windows: Right click the cell which contains the comment » select Edit Comment
    Macintosh: Press [control] + click the cell to which you want to add a comment » select Edit Comment
    The Comment box appears.

  2. Make the appropriate changes to the comment

  3. Click another cell

Editing Comments: Toolbar Option

  1. Select the cell that contains the comment to be edited
    NOTE: On the Reviewing toolbar, the New Comment button now changes to the Edit Comment button

  2. On the Reviewing toolbar, click EDIT COMMENTEdit Comment button
    The Comment box appears.

  3. Make the appropriate changes

  4. Click another cell

return to topDisplaying/Hiding Comments

To have comments remain on the screen or disappear from the screen when your pointer is not "over" the cell, use one of the following sets of directions.

Displaying/Hiding Comments: Single Cell

  1. Windows: Right click the cell which contains the comment » select Show Comment or Hide Comment
    Macintosh: Press [control] + click the cell to which you want to add a comment » select Show Comment or Hide Comment

Displaying/Hiding Comments: Toolbar Option

  1. Select the cell which contains the comment

  2. On the Reviewing toolbar, click SHOW/HIDE COMMENTSShow/Hide Comments button
    NOTE: When you click to show, the comment appears next to the selected cell. When you click to hide, the comment disappears.

Displaying/Hiding Comments: All Cells

  1. On the Reviewing toolbar, click SHOW/HIDE ALL COMMENTSShow/Hide All Comments button
    NOTE: Selecting Comments acts as a toggle turning comments on/off.

return to topDeleting Comments

Deleting comments allow you to either remove the comment you have placed within an individual cell, or to remove all of the comments you have placed within a document.

Removing Comments from a Single Cell: Menu Option

  1. Select the cell with the comment to be deleted

  2. From the Edit menu, select Clear » Comments

Removing Comments from a Single Cell: Mouse Option

  1. Windows: Right click the cell which contains the comment » select Delete Comment
    Macintosh: Press [control] + click the cell to which you want to add a comment » select Delete Comment

Removing Comments from a Single Cell: Toolbar Option

  1. Select the cell which contains the comment to be deleted

  2. On the Reviewing toolbar, click DELETE COMMENTDelete Comment button

Removing Comments from All Cells: Menu Option

  1. Open the sheet with the comments to be deleted

  2. From the Edit menu, select Go To…
    The Go To dialog box appears.

  3. Click SPECIAL...
    The Go To Special dialog box appears.

  4. Select Comments

  5. Click OK
    All comments on the active sheet will be selected.

  6. From the Edit menu, select Clear » Comments

return to topPrinting Comments

Comments must be displayed before printing. For more information, refer to Displaying Comments.

Windows:

  1. Open the worksheet that contains the comments you want to print

  2. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  3. Select the Sheet tab

  4. To print all comments in a group, under Print, from the Comments pull-down list, select At end of sheet
    To print comments as they appear, under Print, from the Comments pull-down list, select As displayed on sheet
    NOTE: Only displayed comments will print for the second option.

  5. Click PRINT...
    The Print dialog box appears.

  6. Make the appropriate selections
    NOTE: For more information on printing, refer to Printing Basics.

  7. Click OK

Macintosh:

  1. Open the worksheet that contains the comments you want to print

  2. From the File menu, select Page Setup...
    The Page Setup dialog box appears.

  3. Select the Sheet tab

  4. To print all comments in a group, under Print, from the Comments pull-down list, select At end of sheet
    To print comments as they appear, under Print, from the Comments pull-down list, select As displayed on sheet
    NOTE: Only displayed comments will print for the second option.

  5. Click OK

  6. From the File menu, select Print...
    The Print dialog box appears.

  7. Make the appropriate selections
    NOTE: For more information on printing, refer to Printing Basics.

  8. Click PRINT

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