Columns in excel are hidden

Hide or show rows or columns

Hide or unhide columns in your spreadsheet to show just the data that you need to see or print.

Hide columns

1. Select one or more columns, and then press Ctrl to select additional columns that aren’t adjacent.

2. Right-click the selected columns, and then select Hide.

Note: The double line between two columns is an indicator that you’ve hidden a column.

Unhide columns

1. Select the adjacent columns for the hidden columns.

2. Right-click the selected columns, and then select Unhide.

    Or double-click the double line between the two columns where hidden columns exist.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

See Also

Unhide the first column or row in a worksheet

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Watch Video – How to Unhide Columns in Excel

If you prefer written instruction instead, below is the tutorial.

Hidden rows and columns can be quite irritating at times.

Especially if someone else has hidden these and you forget to unhide it (or even worse, you don’t know how to unhide these).

While I can’t do anything about the first issue, I can show you how to unhide columns in Excel (the same techniques can also be used to unhide rows).

It may happen that one of the methods of unhiding columns/rows may not work for you. In that case, it is good to know the alternatives that can work.

There are many different situations where you may need to unhide the columns:

1. Multiple columns are hidden and you want to unhide all columns at once
2. You want to unhide a specific column (in between two columns)
3. You want to unhide the first column

Let’s go through each for these scenarios and see how to unhide the columns.

Unhide All Columns At One Go

If you have a worksheet that has multiple hidden columns, you don’t need to go hunt each one and bring it to light.

You can do that all in one go.

And there are multiple ways to do this.

Using the Format Option

Here are the steps to unhide all columns at one go:

1. Click on the small triangle at the top left of the worksheet area. This will select all the cells in the worksheet.
2. Right-click anywhere in the worksheet area.
3. Click on Unhide.

No matter where that pesky column is hidden, this will unhide it.

Note: You can also use the keyboard shortcut Control A A (hold the control key and hit the A key twice) to select all the cells in the worksheet.

Using VBA

If you need to do this often, you can also use VBA to get this done.

The below code will unhide column in the worksheet.

Sub UnhideColumns ()
Cells.EntireColumn.Hidden = False
EndSub

You need to place this code in the VB Editor (in a module).

If you want to learn how to do this with VBA, read a detailed guide on how to run a macro in Excel.

Note: To save time, you can save this macro in the Personal Macro Workbook and add it to the quick access toolbar. This will allow you to unhide all columns with a single click.

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

If you’re more comfortable using keyboard shortcuts, there is a way to unhide all columns with a few keystrokes.

Here are the steps:

1. Select any cell in the worksheet.
2. Press Control-A-A (hold the control key and press A twice). This will select all the cells in the worksheet
3. Use the following shortcut – ALT H O U L (one key at a time)

If you can get hang of this keyboard shortcut, it could be a lot faster to unhide columns.

Note: The reason you need to press A twice when holding the control key is that sometimes when you press Control A, it only selects the used range in Excel (or the area that has the data) and you need to press the A again to select the entire worksheet.

Another keyword shortcut that works for some and not for others is Control 0 (from a numeric keypad) or Control Shift 0 from a non-numeric keypad. It used to work for me earlier but doesn’t work anymore. Here is some discussion on why it may happen. I suggest you use the longer (ALT HOUL) shortcut that works every time.

Unhide Columns in Between Selected Columns

There are multiple ways you can quickly unhide columns in between selected columns. The methods shown here are useful when you want to unhide a specific column(s).

Let’s go through these one-by-one (and you can choose to use that you find the best).

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Below are the steps:

1. Select the columns that contain the hidden columns in between. For example, if you are trying to unhide column C, then select column B and D.
2. Use the following shortcut – ALT H O U L (one key at a time)

This will instantly unhide the columns.

Using the Mouse

One quick and easy way to unhide a column is to use the mouse.

Below are the steps:

Using the Format Option in the Ribbon

Under the home tab in the ribbon, there are options to hide and unhide columns in Excel.

Here is how to use it:

Another way of accessing this option is by selecting the columns and right clicking using the mouse. In the menu that appears, select the unhide option.

Using VBA

Below is the code that you can use to unhide columns in between the selected columns.

Sub UnhideAllColumns()
Selection.EntireColumn.Hidden = False
End Sub

You need to place this code in the VB Editor (in a module).

If you want to learn how to do this with VBA, read a detailed guide on how to run a macro in Excel.

Note: To save time, you can save this macro in the Personal Macro Workbook and add it to the quick access toolbar. This will allow you to unhide all columns with a single click.

By Changing the Column Width

There is a possibility that none of these methods work when you try to unhide column in Excel. It happens when you change the Column Width to 0. In that case, even if you unhide the column, it’s width still remains 0, and hence you can’t see it or select it.

Below are the steps to change the column width:

This is by far the most reliable way to unhide columns in Excel. If everything fails, just change the column width.

Unhide the First Column

Unhiding the first column can be a little bit tricky.

You can use many of the methods covered above, with a little bit of extra work.

Let me show you a few ways.

Use the Mouse to Drag the First Column

Even when the first column is hidden, Excel allows you to select it and drag it to make it visible.

To do this, hover the cursor on the left edge of column B (or whatever is the leftmost visible column).

The cursor would change into a double arrow pointer as shown below.

Hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor to the right. You will see that it unhides the hidden column.

Go to a Cell in the First Column and Unhide it

But how do you go to any cell in the column that’s hidden?

Good question!

You use the Name Box (it’s left to the formula bar).

Enter A1 in the Name Box. It will instantly take you to the A1 cell. Since the first column is hidden, you won’t be able to see it, but be assured that it’s selected (you’ll still see a thin line just left of B1).

Once the hidden column cell is selected, follow the below steps:

• Click the Home tab.
• In the Cells group, click on Format.
• Hover the cursor on the ‘Hide & Unhide’ option.
• Click on ‘Unhide Columns’

Select the First Column and Unhide it

Again! How do you select it when it’s hidden?

Well, there are many different ways to skin the cat.

And this is just another method in my kitty (this is the last cat sounding reference I promise).

When you select the leftmost visible cell and drag the cursor to the left (where there are row numbers), you end up selecting all the hidden columns (even when you don’t see it).

Once you have select all the hidden columns, follow the below steps:

• Click the Home tab.
• In the Cells group, click on Format.
• Hover the cursor on the ‘Hide & Unhide’ option.
• Click on ‘Unhide Columns’

Check The Number of Hidden Columns

Excel has an ‘Inspect Document’ feature that is meant to quickly scan the workbook and give you some details about it.

And one of the things that you can do that ‘Inspect Document’ is to quickly check how many hidden columns or hidden rows are there in the workbook.

This might be useful when you get the workbook from someone and want to quickly inspect it.

Below are the steps on how to check the total number of hidden columns or hidden rows:

1. Open the workbook
2. Click on the File tab
3. In the Info options, click on the ‘Check for Issues’ button (it’s next to the Inspect Workbook text).
4. Click on Inspect Document.
5. In the Document Inspector, make sure Hidden Rows and Columns option is checked.
6. Click the Inspect button.

This will show you the total number of hidden rows and columns.

It also gives you the option to delete all these hidden rows/columns. This can be the case if there is extra data that has been hidden and is not needed. Instead of finding hidden rows and columns, you can quickly delete these from this option.

You May Also Like the following Excel Tips/Tutorials:

• How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel – 4 Methods.
• How to Quickly Insert New Cells in Excel.
• Keyboard & Mouse Tricks that will Reinvent the Way You Excel.
• How to Hide a Worksheet in Excel.
• How to Unhide Sheets in Excel (All In One Go)
• Excel Text to Columns (7 Amazing things you can do with it)
• How to Lock Cells in Excel
• How to Lock Formulas in Excel

Содержание

• Показ скрытых столбцов
  • Способ 1: ручное перемещение границ
  • Способ 2: контекстное меню
  • Способ 3: кнопка на ленте
• Вопросы и ответы

При работе в Excel иногда требуется скрыть столбцы. После этого, указанные элементы перестают отображаться на листе. Но, что делать, когда снова нужно включить их показ? Давайте разберемся в этом вопросе.

Показ скрытых столбцов

Прежде, чем включить отображение скрытых столбов, нужно разобраться, где они располагаются. Сделать это довольно просто. Все столбцы в Экселе помечены буквами латинского алфавита, расположенными по порядку. В том месте, где этот порядок нарушен, что выражается в отсутствии буквы, и располагается скрытый элемент.

Конкретные способы возобновления отображения скрытых ячеек зависят от того, какой именно вариант применялся для того, чтобы их спрятать.

Способ 1: ручное перемещение границ

Если вы скрыли ячейки путем перемещения границ, то можно попытаться показать строку, переместив их на прежнее место. Для этого нужно стать на границу и дождаться появления характерной двусторонней стрелки. Затем нажать левую кнопку мыши и потянуть стрелку в сторону.

После выполнения данной процедуры ячейки будут отображаться в развернутом виде, как это было прежде.

Правда, нужно учесть, что если при скрытии границы были подвинуты очень плотно, то «зацепиться» за них таким способом будет довольно трудно, а то и невозможно. Поэтому, многие пользователи предпочитают решить этот вопрос, применяя другие варианты действий.

Способ 2: контекстное меню

Способ включения отображения скрытых элементов через контекстное меню является универсальным и подойдет во всех случаях, без разницы с помощью какого варианта они были спрятаны.

1. Выделяем на горизонтальной панели координат соседние секторы с буквами, между которыми располагается скрытый столбец.
2. Кликаем правой кнопкой мыши по выделенным элементам. В контекстном меню выбираем пункт «Показать».

Теперь спрятанные столбцы начнут отображаться снова.

Способ 3: кнопка на ленте

Использование кнопки «Формат» на ленте, как и предыдущий вариант, подойдет для всех случаев решения поставленной задачи.

1. Перемещаемся во вкладку «Главная», если находимся в другой вкладке. Выделяем любые соседние ячейки, между которыми находится скрытый элемент. На ленте в блоке инструментов «Ячейки» кликаем по кнопке «Формат». Открывается меню. В блоке инструментов «Видимость» перемещаемся в пункт «Скрыть или отобразить». В появившемся списке выбираем запись «Отобразить столбцы».



2. После этих действий соответствующие элементы опять станут видимыми.

Урок: Как скрыть столбцы в Excel

Как видим, существует сразу несколько способов включить отображение скрытых столбцов. При этом, нужно заметить, что первый вариант с ручным перемещением границ подойдет только в том случае, если ячейки были спрятаны таким же образом, к тому же их границы не были сдвинуты слишком плотно. Хотя, именно этот способ и является наиболее очевидным для неподготовленного пользователя. А вот два остальных варианта с использованием контекстного меню и кнопки на ленте подойдут для решения данной задачи в практически любой ситуации, то есть, они являются универсальными.

Еще статьи по данной теме:

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You can hide rows and columns in Excel, and it’s usually easy to unhide those rows or columns later. But, if you run into problems, these quick tips might help you show those rows and columns again.

Unhiding Rows and Columns

If you notice that rows are hidden in an Excel workbook, you can usually unhide them by following these steps:

• Select the rows on either side of the hidden ones
• Next, right-click on one of the selected rows
• In the pop-up menu, click the Unhide command

Trouble Unhiding Top Rows

Occasionally, you can run into problems when you need to unhide rows or column on an Excel worksheet.

For example, if Row 1 is hidden, or the top few rows are hidden, how can you unhide them?

Here are the steps to show the hidden top rows on a worksheet:

• At the left side of the Excel sheet, press on the first visible row button
  • In the animated screen shot below, Row 6 is the first visible row
• Next, drag up, onto the Select All button.
  • Tips: As you drag up, a small popup appears, to show the number of rows you’ve selected.
• Then, right-click the first visible row button
• In the pop-up menu, click Unhide

This animated gif shows the steps for selecting the hidden rows at the top of a worksheet, and unhiding them

Another Hidden Top Rows Fix

If you weren’t able to show the hidden top rows, the problem might be caused by  some of the worksheet has been locked in place, with the Freeze Panes command.

To see if freezing is the problem of hidden rows or columns, follow these steps:

• Select any cell on the the worksheet
• On the Excel Ribbon, click the View tab
• If there is an Unfreeze Pane command in the drop down list, click that, to unfreeze the locked sections

The “hidden” rows or columns might reappear after that, when you scroll to the top or left of the worksheet.

Warning for Hidden Rows

Perhaps the biggest problem with hidden rows or columns in an Excel workbook is that you might not even know that things are hidden! I’m sure you’ve read the horror stories in the news about that kind of problem.

To help you spot hidden rows or columns, I’ve made a sample workbook that uses formulas and conditional formatting to alert you when things are hidden.

There are details on how it works in this blog post: Excel Hidden Data Warning.

In the screen shot shown below,

• Rows 12 and 13 are hidden
  • Formula in cell B2 shows that 2 rows are hidden
• Columns E and F are hidden
  • Conditional formatting in cell D1 shows that columns are hidden, to the right of the coloured cell

Get the Hidden Data Warning File

To get the hidden rows and columns warning workbook, go to the Conditional Formatting Examples page on my Contextures site.

In the “Get the Sample Files” section, look for File #3: Hidden Data Warning. The zipped Excel file is in xlsx, and does not contain any macros.

Video: Trouble Unhiding Top Excel Rows

This short video shows you a quick way to see those hidden rows at the top of your Excel worksheet.

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Warning for Hidden Rows and Columns in Excel

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