Fix Slow Arrow-Key Navigation in Excel on Surface Book 2
Question details
Resolve severe lag when moving between Excel cells with the arrow keys on a Surface Book 2.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- Surface Book 2, Windows 10
- Scenario
- The user is editing a Microsoft Excel workbook on a Surface Book 2 and needs to move quickly between cells with arrow keys.
- Observed behavior
- Cell selection lags severely when using arrow keys in Excel, and the issue may occur only in Excel.
Record your Office version and Windows build before troubleshooting. Connect the Surface Book 2 to power so Surface firmware, Windows, and driver updates can complete without interruption.
Update Surface Book 2 firmware, Windows, and graphics drivers
Use this first because compatibility between the Surface Book 2 NVIDIA GPU and Windows can cause Excel-only arrow-key lag.
The Surface Book 2 uses a discrete NVIDIA GPU, and a Windows 10 version 1903 compatibility issue can make Excel cell navigation lag. Updating firmware and graphics drivers often resolves the conflict without changing Office settings.
Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, select Check for updates, and install all available quality, driver, and firmware updates. For Surface Book 2 firmware, open the Microsoft Surface Book 2 update history page in a browser and follow the latest firmware installation steps for your model.
Right-click Start and open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click the NVIDIA GeForce GPU and the Intel GPU, select Update driver, and choose Search automatically for updated driver software. Restart the Surface Book 2.
Open Microsoft Excel and navigate cells with the arrow keys to verify whether the lag is resolved.
Run an online repair of Microsoft 365 or Office
Use this when updates do not help and you suspect a damaged Office installation is causing the slowdown.
Test with the virtual keyboard and clean-boot isolation
Use this to confirm whether the issue is caused by hardware input or background software rather than Excel itself.
Use WPS Spreadsheets as a Lightweight Excel Alternative on Surface Book 2
WPS Office is a free, lightweight Microsoft Office alternative that opens and edits Excel .xlsx workbooks smoothly on Surface Book 2, with a familiar ribbon-style spreadsheet interface and no complex Office repair workflow.
- 1. Install WPS Office on the Surface Book 2: Download WPS Office from wps.com, open the installer, and complete the Windows installation.
- 2. Open the existing Excel workbook: Launch WPS Spreadsheets, click Open, and select the .xlsx file that was lagging in Microsoft Excel.
- 3. Use arrow-key navigation in WPS Spreadsheets: Move between cells with the arrow keys to confirm smooth navigation and continue editing the workbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel arrow-key navigation lag only on my Surface Book 2?
It is often caused by compatibility between the Surface Book 2 NVIDIA discrete GPU and a Windows 10 build such as version 1903. Update the Surface Book 2 firmware from the Microsoft Surface Book 2 update history page, install Windows updates in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and update the NVIDIA and Intel display drivers in Device Manager.
Where can I find my Office version and Windows build for support?
In Excel, go to File > Account > About Excel to see the Office version. Open Settings > System > About to see the Windows build and edition.
Can I use the virtual keyboard to test whether the keyboard is causing the Excel lag?
Yes. Press Windows key + Ctrl + O to open the on-screen keyboard, click the arrow keys in Excel, and compare the response with your physical keyboard.
Does WPS Spreadsheets support my existing Excel files?
Yes. WPS Spreadsheets opens and edits .xlsx, .xls, and CSV files, so you can open the same workbook without recreating the data or formulas.
Is WPS Office lightweight enough for a Surface Book 2?
Yes. WPS Office runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11, has a familiar ribbon-style interface, and is designed to be lighter than full Microsoft 365 installations on laptops like the Surface Book 2.
