disabling the windows F5 & F8 key so I can step thru the code.

Yes...Annoying.

Try this:
• Window_key + X
• Select: Mobility Center
• Function Key Row section
...Click the dropdown and select: Function Key
(versus multimedia key)

Does that help?

This is not specific to Excel; this is how your laptop keyboard is set up.

On most laptops the top row of keys have two functions, one for the Function keys and one for other uses. If the default for your laptop is the other use (i.e., volume control, screen brightness) then you need to press the Fn key at the same time to activate F8.

Here's an example Dell keyboard. Fn is lower left.

You may be able to reverse this behavior in BIOS settings, so that the default is Function keys and the Fn will access the other settings.

I got a new Dell computer a few months ago. The default setting for the function key row was "multimedia". Being a keyboard-person that was very annoying. I'd press function keys (F4, F5, F8, whatever) and practically never got the behavior I anticipated.

Fortunately, the Dell utility that is activated by Window_Key + x has an option to toggle that default to "Function".

Glad you got something you can use!

If that resolves your issue, please take a moment to mark this thread as SOLVED (from the Thread Tools menu)