Why can't i unhide rows in excel

Answer

You cannot unhide rows in Excel because one or more conditions are preventing them from becoming visible. The issue may stem from hidden settings, frozen panes, row height, filters, or sheet protection.

1. Hidden Rows via Row Height

Rows appear hidden when their row height is set to zero. This can happen accidentally or through formatting.

Solution:

1. Select the rows surrounding the hidden area. For example, if rows 5–7 are hidden, select rows 4 and 8.

2. Right-click and choose Unhide.

3. Alternatively, set the row height manually:

   • Right-click on the selected rows.

   • Select Row Height.

   • Enter a positive number like 15.

2. Hidden Rows via Filters

Rows can remain hidden if a filter is applied to a column, which hides certain rows based on the filter criteria.

Solution:

1. Go to the Data tab.

2. Click Clear in the Sort & Filter group.

3. All rows will reappear.

3. Sheet Protection

A protected sheet may prevent unhiding rows. Excel restricts editing or unhiding when the worksheet is protected.

Solution:

1. Go to the Review tab.

2. Click Unprotect Sheet.

3. Enter the password if prompted.

4. Try unhiding the rows again.

4. Frozen Panes

Frozen panes can make rows appear hidden or unscrollable.

Solution:

1. Go to the View tab.

2. Click Freeze Panes → Unfreeze Panes.

3. Scroll to verify if the rows are visible.

5. Grouped Rows

Rows may be grouped using the outline feature, hiding them under a collapsible section.

Solution:

1. Look for small plus (+) or minus (−) icons at the left side of the row numbers.

2. Click the + icon to expand the hidden rows.

6. Using the Go To Method

If none of the above works, use the Go To method to select hidden rows directly:

1. Press Ctrl + G (or Cmd + G on Mac).

2. Type the row range, e.g., 5:7.

3. Press Enter, right-click the selection, and choose Unhide.

7. Check for Conditional Formatting or VBA

Sometimes macros or conditional formatting rules may hide rows automatically. Review Developer → Macros or any applied VBA code.

Following these methods will allow you to unhide rows in nearly all scenarios. The most common causes are row height set to zero or an applied filter, which accounts for about 80% of unhiding issues.

Yes · 0 No · 0 Add Comment · 0

Add ·

Report