Where to Find the Form Controls

Today’s author is Jan Karel Pieterse, an Excel MVP. In this article, he shows the different locations of the form controls in Excel. You can find additional details on how to use these controls on his web site: http://www.jkp-ads.com/articles/controls.asp.

Excel 2007 and 2010

In Excel 2007 and 2010, the form controls and control toolbox controls are slightly hidden. First of all, you need to show the Developer tab in the ribbon. Here is how that's done:

1. In Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office button, and then click the Excel Options button. For Excel 2010, click the File tab, and then click Options.
   
2. In Excel 2007, click the Popular tab, and then select the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box. 
   
      
   
   Fig. 1: Show the Developer tab in the Ribbon (Excel 2007).
   
   In Excel 2010, click the Customize Ribbon tab, and then in the Customize the Ribbon box, select the Developer check box.

After you've checked the box and clicked OK, you will find the Developer tab in your ribbon. This tab provides a Controls group, which in turn contains an Insert button. The dropdown list shows all available controls: 

 
Fig. 2: The controls on the Developer tab.

Excel 97-2003

In older Excel versions the controls are available on two toolbars; the Forms toolbar and the Control toolbox toolbar. You can show both toolbars using the Toolbars command on the View menu: 

 
Fig. 3: Access to the controls toolbars in Excel 97-2003.

After turning on these two toolbars, they are shown in your workbook: 

  
  
Fig. 4: The control toolbars in Excel 97-2003.