Create a class based on Control. Set its backstyle to 1 Opaque. Add a checkbox to it and sert its backstyle to 0-transparent. In the GotFocus of the chcekbox put This.Parent.BackColor = RGB(128,128,128) (or whatever back color you want. In the checkbox lostfocus set This.Parent.BackColor = RGB(255,255,255). Now put the control class in the column of the grid and set the grid column to sparse = .F.. Run the form and play with the column with the checkbox in it. I think this is pretty close to what you want.