You clicked an ActiveX control (ActiveX control: A control, such as a check box or button that offers options to users or runs macros or scripts that automate a task. You can write macros for the control in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications or scripts in Microsoft Script Editor.). To make the command available, click a cell on the worksheet.

When you install new ActiveX controls (ActiveX control: A control, such as a check box or button that offers options to users or runs macros or scripts that automate a task. You can write macros for the control in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications or scripts in Microsoft Script Editor.), the setup program for the controls usually registers each control, making it available to use from Microsoft Excel. If the control doesn't appear in the list, you need to register it manually.

1. In the Control Toolbox, click More Controls .
2. At the bottom of the list, click Register Custom Control.
3. In the Register Custom Control dialog box, locate the folder that contains the control file (.ocx extension) or dynamic link library file (.dll extension) for the control you want to register.
4. Select the file for your control, and then click Open.

If you right-click a control to display the shortcut menu and nothing happens, the control is an ActiveX control (ActiveX control: A control, such as a check box or button that offers options to users or runs macros or scripts that automate a task. You can write macros for the control in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications or scripts in Microsoft Script Editor.) and not a control from the Forms toolbar. To display the shortcut menu for ActiveX controls— for example, to edit properties or view macro code— you must be in design mode. To switch to design mode, click Design Mode in the Control Toolbox.

The workbook with the macro may be unavailable    Usually when you click a control that's assigned to a macro (macro: An action or a set of actions you can use to automate tasks. Macros are recorded in the Visual Basic for Applications programming language.) in another workbook, Microsoft Excel opens the workbook and runs the macro. If Excel cannot find the file, the workbook that contains the macro may no longer exist or may have been moved or renamed.

Assign a different macro    If you can't find the file, you can delete the control or assign a different macro to the control.

1. Open the workbook that contains the macro you want to assign to the control.
2. Click Design Mode in the Control Toolbox.
3. Right-click the control, and then click Assign Macro.
4. In the Macro Name box, click the name of the macro.