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I'm trying to build a table, with about 150 ish rows of data and each row has 4 options. For this I want to use checkboxes, which I've been able to add using the developer tab.

I was happily going about my business but seemingly as I add more rows, this in itself takes longer and longer, and just to check the boxes on the new rows seems to take about a minute or 2. I'm fearing that I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and change to using colours as I've still got about 60% of records to add.

The records I created yesterday, take 0 time to check or uncheck, (which i did from the office) but today's records (when WFH) seem to be problematic. Is there anyone familiar with using checkboxes on excel that could help? It's not the end of the world but I figured as I started and it was OK, why is it now suddenly gone all ridiculous?

Ah, classic Excel checkbox fatigue — sounds like you're getting caught in one of those weird Microsoft Office rabbit holes where performance tanks for no good reason.

Here’s what might be going on and a few ways to either fix or work around it without totally abandoning the checkbox dream:

🚨 What’s Likely Happening
1. Form Controls vs ActiveX Controls

If you're using ActiveX checkboxes, they are notorious for being slow, buggy, and not very well supported — especially in large quantities.

Form Controls checkboxes are lighter and generally more stable. If you're not sure which you're using:

Right-click a checkbox. If it shows "Properties", it's probably an ActiveX control. If not, it's a Form Control.

Switch to Form Controls if you can.

2. Too Many Objects = Performance Drag

Each checkbox is an object. 150 rows × 4 checkboxes = 600 separate objects.

Excel doesn't scale well with hundreds of embedded objects, especially when you're adding more and editing in real-time.

If you're on a less powerful machine while WFH (or connected to a remote environment/VPN/cloud drive), it's going to lag badly.

3. Workbook Bloat

Each checkbox adds size and complexity.

The workbook might be getting bloated — this can make even simple interactions like checking a box painfully slow.

✅ Workarounds (Depending on Your Tolerance for Pain)
Option A: Use Cells + Data Validation Instead of Checkboxes

Instead of actual checkboxes, you can use:

A simple dropdown in each cell with options like "Yes/No", "✓/✗", or even just "X".

Conditional formatting to colour cells based on value.

It’s less "checkboxy" but far more scalable and won't choke your workbook.

Option B: Use ONE Checkbox per Row with a Linked Cell

Instead of 4 separate checkboxes per row, consider combining options into a dropdown or linked cell logic. You can even create a user form (fancy, I know) to streamline it.

Option C: Create a Checkbox Interface on a Separate Sheet

Keep the data clean, and just display an interactive “summary view” elsewhere.

Checkbox clicks update cells in the background via linked cells or VBA, and only the summary sheet has heavy formatting.

🛠 If You Want to Stick with Checkboxes
Convert to Form Controls if you’re on ActiveX.

Work locally (not on a network or cloud-shared file) while editing large volumes — sync later.

Use VBA to add checkboxes more efficiently (not manually). It can drastically reduce the time.


TL;DR
You're hitting Excel's object overload limit, made worse by possibly using ActiveX checkboxes and a less optimal WFH setup. If you're already grinding your teeth, I'd pivot to dropdowns + conditional formatting — lighter, faster, and still gives you the visual tracking you need.

Let me know if you want help flipping your layout to a more scalable format. We can do something slick without sacrificing usability.

Thank you so much Samdy, I really appreciate the detailed response. I'll have a play tomorrow with your suggestions.

Don't thank me, thank ChatGPT :)

Oh it definitely won't work then 😁

I really need to get with the AI program. I'm sure it could be hugely beneficial but it's just a case of im crap at starting something new.

It can be extremely helpful, and it can also be totally wrong when it comes to things like this.

Its getting the info from the net after all.

Prior to coming on the TEF I did use Google and YouTube as my resource. Conclusion: Samdy is better than everything. :)

It does rather read with an American accent somehow.

I would say screw using checkboxes and just use data validation limiting the cells to a menu of inputs with the menu being a tick or a cross.

That way you can format the whole table at once rather than having the ball ache of adding individual check boxes.

And end users move and delete check boxes by accident all the fucking time unless you lock them.

Yeah, this is what I decided to do in the end. Thanks all for your excellent input.