How to Unhide Column in Excel – Step by Step Guide

Hiding columns can sometimes obstruct workflow and conceal important information. It is important to know how to unhide columns for an efficient and organized spreadsheet. In this article, you will learn how to unhide columns in Excel.

Key Takeaways:

• Hidden columns keep data out of view without deleting it.
• It can obstruct access to important data.
• You can unhide columns using the context menu, the Home tab, or keyboard shortcuts.
• Use Alt + H + O + U + L to unhide columns using the Ribbon shortcut.
• VBA macros can be used to automate the process of unhiding columns.

 

What are Hidden Columns?

Hidden columns are columns that are temporarily concealed from view without deleting the data they contain. Users often hide columns to:

• Simplify a worksheet
• Focus on specific information
• Keep supporting data out of sight.

Although hidden columns are not visible on the worksheet, their data remains intact and can be restored at any time by unhiding the columns.

 

Simple Methods on How to Unhide Column

Using the Context Menu

STEP 1: Open the Excel workbook.

STEP 2: Click on the column headers immediately to the left and right of the hidden column.

STEP 3: Right-click on the selected area. From the context menu, choose “Unhide.”

The columns will be unhidden now.

Using the Home Tab

STEP 1: Click on the headers of the columns adjacent to the hidden column.

STEP 2: Go to the “Home” tab on the Ribbon at the top of the Excel window.

STEP 3: In the Cells group, click on Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

Keyboard Shortcuts

To unhide columns using a keyboard shortcut:

• Alt + H + O + U + L – Unhide selected columns
• Ctrl + A, then Alt + H + O + U + L – Unhide all hidden columns.

VBA Macros

VBA macros can be used to automate the task of unhiding columns. I use this VBA code to unhide all columns:

 

Troubleshoot Common Issues

Standard Methods Fail

If the usual methods to unhide columns do not work, check whether the worksheet is protected. To unprotect the worksheet,

• Go to the Review tab
• Click on Unprotect Sheet

If that’s not the problem, my next step is to inspect the column width. Occasionally, columns are accidentally set to a zero width, making them invisible. To rectify this,

• Select the surrounding columns
• Right-click on it
• Choose ‘Column Width’
• Enter a positive number

For persistent issues, it might be necessary to look into more advanced solutions, such as checking for macros that may be affecting visibility.

Identifying and Resolving Complex Problems

If you are unable to unhide columns in Excel, start by checking whether the issue occurs only in the current workbook or in other Excel files as well. If the problem is limited to one workbook, the workbook settings may be causing it.

Also, check whether the columns are grouped rather than hidden. Grouped columns can appear hidden until the group is expanded. To ungroup them,

• Go to the Data tab
• Click on Ungroup

 

FAQs

How to unhide an entire column in Excel?

To unhide an entire column in Excel,

• Right-click on the headers of the column
• Select Unhide

How to unhide all columns in Excel quickly?

To unhide all columns in Excel,

• Press Ctrl + A to select all cells
• Right-click any column header
• Select ‘Unhide’

What is the shortcut for unhide all columns in Excel?

The shortcut to unhide all columns in Excel is Alt + H + O + U + L.

Why can’t I unhide a column?

If you can’t unhide a column in Excel, it may be due to:

• Sheet being protected
• Set column widths to zero
• Rows frozen