in Excel the text cursor is replaced by the eraser icon (eraser with the little star on the top left corner) each time i switch from screen to screen

It seems like you are experiencing an issue where the text cursor in Excel is being replaced by an eraser icon when switching between screens. This behavior could be related to how Excel handles the cursor appearance during focus changes or screen transitions. Unfortunately, the provided context does not contain specific troubleshooting steps for this particular issue with the cursor changing to an eraser icon.

You may want to try the following general troubleshooting steps:

1. Check for Updates: Ensure that your Excel and Office applications are up to date, as updates can fix bugs and improve performance.
2. Restart Excel: Close and reopen Excel to see if the issue persists.
3. Check Display Settings: Sometimes, display settings or multiple monitor configurations can cause cursor issues. Try adjusting these settings.
4. Repair Office: Use the repair feature in the Office installation settings to fix any potential issues with the application.
5. Reset Excel Settings: Resetting Excel to its default settings can sometimes resolve unusual behavior.

If the problem continues, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for more targeted assistance.

Hi @Lozinski, Cindy,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on your description, it's likely that Excel still thinks you’re in Ink Eraser mode (used for removing ink annotations) and shows that eraser icon when you switch screen. There are some steps to quickly troubleshoot this issue you can try:

• Press Esc to disable any active tool mode and returns the cursor to normal
• Go to Draw tab > check if Eraser is selected > click Select (the cursor icon) to return to normal editing.
• Go to File > Options > Advanced > Pen section > ensure “Use pen to select and interact with content.” is unchecked

For further assistance, could you provide more detailed information? We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation. 

• Do you have a touchscreen or stylus/pen device connected?
• Are you using multiple monitors or just one? If multiple, does the issue occur only when switching to a specific screen?
• What exact action triggers the eraser icon? (switching apps with Alt+Tab, clicking Excel’s taskbar icon, etc.) Does the eraser icon appear immediately when you return to Excel, or only after clicking in a cell?
• Does this happen in all workbooks or only in a specific file?
• Have you had any updates recently (Windows or Office updates, driver updates, etc.)?

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution for this situation.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.