Symptoms:

  • A cursor is visible and blinking within the URL, Username, or API Key fields in the Spira Importer.

  • Typing on the keyboard results in data being entered directly into cells rather than the add-in fields

  • The "Paste" (Ctrl+V}) command inserts content into the active sheet cell instead.

Root Cause

This behavior is typically caused by Excel's modern multi-process rendering engine (High-DPI optimization). In certain display configurations, Excel fails to pass the "keyboard focus" to the web-based task pane, causing the main grid to intercept all input.

Permanent Resolution

Adjusting Excel's User Interface settings to prioritize compatibility usually resolves this issue immediately.

  1. Open Excel and navigate to File > Options.

  2. Select the General tab from the left-hand menu.

  3. Under the User Interface options section, locate the setting for "When using multiple displays."

  4. Change the selection from "Optimize for best appearance" to Optimize for compatibility.

  5. Click OK to save the changes.

  6. Restart Excel: You must close all active Excel instances and relaunch the application for the changes to take effect.

Temporary Workaround

If you cannot restart Excel immediately, you can often manually reset the focus:

  1. Click inside the desired text field in the Spira Importer pane.

  2. Press Alt + Tab to switch to a different application window.

  3. Press Alt + Tab again to return to Excel.

  4. Begin typing immediately; forcing a window focus refresh often allows the add-in to capture the keyboard buffer correctly.