Application screenupdating vba excel

As cool as it looks watching your VBA macro manipulate the screen, you can help your Macro run faster if you turn off (disable) ScreenUpdating.

Disable ScreenUpdating

1. To disable ScreenUpdating, At the beginning of your code put this line:

Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Enable ScreenUpdating

2. To re-enable ScreenUpdating, At the end of your code put this line:

Application.ScreenUpdating = True

VBA ScreenUpdating Example

Your procedure will then look like this:

Sub ScreenUpdating_Example()
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    'Do Something
    Range("a1").Copy Range("b1")
    Range("a2").Copy Range("b2")
    Range("a3").Copy Range("b3")


    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

ScreenUpdating Refresh

Disabling ScreenUpdating will make your VBA code run MUCH faster, but it will also make your work appear more professional. End-users typically don’t want to see the behind the scenes actions of your procedures (especially when the procedure runs slow). Also, you may not want end-users to see the behind the scenes functionality (ex. Hidden Worksheets). I recommend disabling (and re-enabling) ScreenUpdating in virtually all of your procedures.

However, there are some times when you want the screen to refresh. To refresh the screen, you will need to temporarily turn back on ScreenUpdating (there is no screen “refresh” command):

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
    'Do Something
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

VBA Settings – Speed Up Code

There are several other settings to play with to improve your code speed.

Disabling Automatic Calculations can make a HUGE difference in speed:

Application.Calculation = xlManual

Disabling the Status Bar will also make a small difference:

Application.DisplayStatusBar = False

If your workbook contains events you should usually disable events at the beginning of your procedure:

Application.EnableEvents = False

Last, your VBA code can be slowed down when Excel tries to re-calculate page breaks (Note: not all procedures will be impacted).  To disable displaying page breaks use this line of code:

ActiveSheet.DisplayPageBreaks = False

Excel VBA ScreenUpdating

When we run any VBA macro with a huge set of code, the code completes but in the background we get processing data in the form of running or waiting for the pointer. And once it is done, we can only see the output. The regular way is not the proper way to see how the values are updating by running code. For example, let’s say we have written the code to generate some numbers in 100 cells. Now that code could simply generate the output without showing how the numbers are getting printed. To resolve this, we have VBA ScreenUpdating. ScreenUpdating in VBA helps us the see how the code is generating the output. This could be numbers, text, alphabets or combination. Once we run the code loop, by VBA ScreenUpdating we could able to see the numbers getting generated.

How to Use ScreenUpdating Application in Excel VBA?

We will learn how to use the ScreenUpdating application in Excel by using the VBA Code.

You can download this VBA ScreenUpdating Excel Template here – VBA ScreenUpdating Excel Template

VBA ScreenUpdating can be noticed while we run the code or macro. While the code is running, we will be able to see how our screen is getting updated by the values generated by written code in VBA. Instead of seeing the older waiting sign, by the help of VBA ScreenUpdating we can see how the screen is updating the values of output by VBA ScreenUpdating. Now by that, we can also see the name of the article itself defines it work, VBA ScreenUpdating.

VBA ScreenUpdating – Example #1

In this example, we will see a simple code for updating the screen. For this, we need some cells with numbers, as shown below. For this, follow the below steps:

Step 1: Open a Module from the Insert menu tab as shown below.

Step 2: Now write the subprocedure in the name of VBA ScreenUpdating as shown below.

Code:

Sub Screen_Update1()

End Sub

Step 3: We will now copy the numbers from cell A1: A3 to any other cells. Let’s say that cell be C1: C3 with the help of the below code.

Code:

Sub Screen_Update1()

Range("A1").Copy Range("C1")
Range("A2").Copy Range("C2")
Range("A3").Copy Range("C3")

End Sub

Step 4: Now if we run this code, we could only get the output which is copied values from column A to C. Now we will use ScreenUpdating application as shown below.

Code:

Sub Screen_Update1()

Application.ScreenUpdating
Range("A1").Copy Range("C1")
Range("A2").Copy Range("C2")
Range("A3").Copy Range("C3")

End Sub

Step 5: We put an equal sign to select the Boolean values which are TRUE or FALSE. We will select FALSE to stop the screenupdating.

Code: 

Sub Screen_Update1()

Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Range("A1").Copy Range("C1")
Range("A2").Copy Range("C2")
Range("A3").Copy Range("C3")

End Sub

Step 6: Run the code by pressing the F5 key or by clicking on the Play Button located below the menu ribbon. We will see the values are copied from column A to C.

This could be seen more clearly if we have a huge set of numbers.

VBA ScreenUpdating – Example #2

Let’s see another example for ScreenUpdating. This time let’s consider the number from 1 to 20 from cell A1 to A20 as shown below.

For using screenupdating application, follow the below steps:

Step 1: Write the subprocedure of VBA Screenupdating as shown below.

Code:

Sub Screen_Update2()

End Sub

Step 2: Now write the code to select the range cell from A1 to A20 and copy them at B1 to F20 as shown below. In a similar fashion as we saw in example-1.

Code:

Sub Screen_Update2()

Range("A1:A20").Copy Range("B1:F20")

End Sub

Step 3: To apply the screenupdating application, we will again use a similar line of code which we have seen in example-1.

Code:

Sub Screen_Update2()

Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Range("A1:A20").Copy Range("B1:F20")

End Sub

The above-used application ScreenUpdating as FALSE will allow us to see how the VBA code updates the screen. As we have more numbers so there are chances we can see screenupdating.

Step 4: Run the code by pressing the F5 key or by clicking on the Play Button. We could see the value getting updated.

VBA ScreenUpdating – Example #3

There is another way to see the screen getting updated. This could be done with the help of the For-Next Loop. In this example, we will print the numbers in a Row and Column combo matrix. For this, follow the below steps:

Step 1: Write the subprocedure of VBA ScreenUpdating.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

End Sub

Step 2: Now declare the 2 variables for Row and Columns separately as data type Long.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long

End Sub

Step 3: Now declare another variable which we will use as a reference to start the numbers.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long

End Sub

Step 4: Now give the reference number from which position we want to start the counting. Here we are giving it as 0.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long
MyNumber = 0

End Sub

Step 5: Now open a For loop and give the count of the Columns and Rows which want to see updating. Let say from 1 to 50.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long
MyNumber = 0
For RowCount = 1 To 50

End Sub

Step 6: To continue the loop give MyNumber variable +1.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long
MyNumber = 0
For RowCount = 1 To 50
For ColumnCount = 1 To 50
MyNumber = MyNumber + 1

End Sub

Step 7: Now select the Row and Column variables in Cell function. And then select the values stored in them and assign them to MyNumber variable.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long
MyNumber = 0
For RowCount = 1 To 50
For ColumnCount = 1 To 50
MyNumber = MyNumber + 1
Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Select
Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Value = MyNumber

End Sub

Step 8: Now close the Loop by Next. Include Row and Column variables which we defined and used in the For-Next loop.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long
MyNumber = 0
For RowCount = 1 To 50
For ColumnCount = 1 To 50
MyNumber = MyNumber + 1
Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Select
Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Value = MyNumber
Next ColumnCount
Next RowCount

End Sub

Step 9: Now we haven’t inserted the Screenupdating application yet. Now insert the Screenupdating application as FALSE before the start of the loop and as TRUE at the end of the loop as shown below.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating3()

Dim RowCount As Long
Dim ColumnCount As Long
Dim MyNumber As Long
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
MyNumber = 0
For RowCount = 1 To 50
For ColumnCount = 1 To 50
MyNumber = MyNumber + 1
Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Select
Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Value = MyNumber
Next ColumnCount
Next RowCount
Application.ScreenUpdating = True

End Sub

Now compile the complete code step by step by pressing the F8 function key and then run it if no error is found. We will see, how each cell of selected rows and columns is getting updated with the values stored in it.

Pros of Excel VBA ScreenUpdating

• It is quite helpful in seeing how the screen is getting updated with the value stored in the loop.
• We can use Screenupdating if we want to switch between worksheets and workbooks.
• We can use any range of numbers.

Things to Remember

• We use the insert For-Next loop as the frame or first, we can satisfy the condition of For loop and then close it by Next.
• VBA ScreenUpdating is quite useful and visible if we are using a huge set of numbers.
• Once done, do save the excel file as Macro enables excel format.
• VBA ScreenUpdating can also be used for creating a macro through which we can send emails.

Recommended Articles

This is a guide to VBA ScreenUpdating. Here we discuss how to use ScreenUpdating application in Excel VBA along with practical examples and downloadable excel template. You can also go through our other suggested articles –

1. VBA IF Statements
2. VBA Sort
3. VBA While Loop
4. VBA Environ

VBA Screen Updating is a property used to avoid or prevent distraction flashes while running the code and make it fast by turning off screen updating. We can turn off the screen updating by setting this property as “False.”

We often feel the Excel screen going crazy while the Macro is running. We almost get frustrated by that. But, how do we deal with these situations and make the code run faster than the usual slow thing?

Screen Updating is something we can notice while the excel macroA macro in excel is a series of instructions in the form of code that helps automate manual tasks, thereby saving time. Excel executes those instructions in a step-by-step manner on the given data. For example, it can be used to automate repetitive tasks such as summation, cell formatting, information copying, etc. thereby rapidly replacing repetitious operations with a few clicks.
read more is running. When the task is executing, we notice our screen updating the values until the Macro finishes its assigned task. As our screen flickers or refreshes, it leads to the slowdown of the Excel program and takes a longer time than usual to complete the task.

In VBA, we have a property called “ScreenUpdating,” we set this property to FALSE to eliminate the screen updating process while the code runs.

This article will say goodbye to watching on-screen action drama while the code is running. Instead, today you will make your code run faster and quicker than your usual time.

When to use Screen Updating Feature?

Suppose you have any doubt about when to use this technique. Then, look into the below points.

• Looping through a large number of cells.
• Sending emails from Excel VBAWe can use VBA to automate our mailing feature in Excel to send emails to multiple users at once. To use Outlook features, we must first enable outlook scripting in VBA, and then use the application method.read more.
• Switching between Excel workbooks.
• Opening new workbooks.

How to use the Screen Updating Feature in VBA Code?

You can download this VBA ScreenUpdating Excel Template here – VBA ScreenUpdating Excel Template

Example #1 – Turn Off Screen Updating

Look at the below code.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating()

 Dim RowCount As Long
 Dim ColumnCount As Long
 Dim MyNumber As Long

 MyNumber = 0

 For RowCount = 1 To 50

 For ColumnCount = 1 To 50
   MyNumber = MyNumber + 1
   Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Select
   Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Value = MyNumber
 Next ColumnCount

 Next RowCount

End Sub

The above has a nested VBA loopA VBA loop in excel is an instruction to run a code or repeat an action multiple times.read more to insert serial numbers from the first column to the 50th column and again to insert serial numbers starting from 51 from the second row to the 50th column.

Like this, it will insert until it reaches the 50th row.

While this code is running, you can notice your screen flickering. You cannot do anything apart from watching this crazy moment.

To avoid all of these, we can add Screen Updating to FALSE.

To access the Screen Updating feature, first, we need to access the Application object.

As we can see with the Application object, we have many properties and methods. So, select “Screen Updating” from the IntelliSense list.

Note: You must apply the Screen Updating feature immediately after declaring the variables.

After selecting the Screen Updating property, put an equal sign (=).

As we can see, there are two Boolean values: FALSE and TRUE.

To stop screen updating, set the status to FALSE.

As the Macro starts running first, it will update the screen, updating the status to FALSE, and proceed to the next line.

Since Macro executed Screen Updating to FALSE, it will not allow the screen to update while the code is executing its task.

Example #2 –

Always Set Screen Updating to TRUE at the End

We have seen many people set the Screen Updating to FALSE but forgot to set it back to TRUE at the end of the Macro.

Always set the Screen Updating back to TRUE at the end of the Macro.

Code:

Sub Screen_Updating()

 Dim RowCount As Long
 Dim ColumnCount As Long
 Dim MyNumber As Long

 Application.ScreenUpdating = False
 MyNumber = 0

 For RowCount = 1 To 50

 For ColumnCount = 1 To 50
   MyNumber = MyNumber + 1
   Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Select
   Cells(RowCount, ColumnCount).Value = MyNumber
 Next ColumnCount

 Next RowCount
 Application.ScreenUpdating = True

End Sub

Recommended Articles

This article has been a guide to VBA Screen Updating. Here, we discuss how to use the Application.ScreenUpdating feature to make code run faster and quicker than your usual time, along with examples and a downloadable Excel template. Below are some useful Excel articles related to VBA: –

• Solver Function in VBA
• Use VBA Debug Print
• Break For Loop in VBA
• ThisWorkbook Property in VBA
• VBA FreeFile