When working with Microsoft Excel, there are a lot of ways to manipulate the data within the spreadsheet to make it easier to read and analyze. One of these ways is hiding certain rows or columns that are not important to the current analysis. However, sometimes we may need to unhide them later on. In this article, we will explore the different ways to show hidden sheets or columns in Excel and how to restore deleted sheets.
Excel provides a useful feature that allows users to hide sheets that they don’t want to see at the moment. However, sometimes we may need to unhide those sheets to view their contents. Here are the steps to show hidden sheets in Excel:
Step 1: Open Excel and select the workbook you want to work with
Launch Excel and select the workbook that contains the hidden sheet.
Click the “View” tab from the top menu bar.
Step 3: Click “Unhide” from the “Window” group
From the “Window” group, click “Unhide”.
Step 4: Select the sheet you want to unhide from the list
A window will pop up with a list of all the hidden sheets in the workbook. Select the sheet you want to unhide from the list and click “OK”.
Once you click “OK”, the sheet will be unhidden and you will be able to view its contents.
In addition to hiding sheets, Excel also allows users to hide columns to focus on certain sections of the data. If you need to unhide those columns later, here are the steps:
Step 1: Open Excel and select the worksheet you want to work with
Launch Excel and select the worksheet that contains the hidden columns.
Click and drag your mouse to highlight the columns on either side of the hidden column.
Click the “Format” tab from the top menu bar.
Step 4: Click “Column” and then “Unhide”
From the drop-down menu, click “Column” and then “Unhide”.
The hidden column will then be displayed, and you will be able to work with it like any other column.
How to restore deleted sheets in Excel?
Accidentally deleting a sheet in Excel can be frustrating, especially if you don’t have a backup of the data. However, there is a way to restore deleted sheets in Excel, as long as you haven’t saved the workbook after the sheet was deleted. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Close the workbook without saving it
If you accidentally delete a sheet in Excel, immediately close the workbook without saving it. This will prevent any changes from being saved to the workbook.
Step 2: Re-open the workbook
Re-open the workbook that contains the deleted sheet. You should see a notification at the bottom of the screen that says “Excel found a problem with one or more formula references in this worksheet. Check that the cell references, range names, defined names and links to other workbooks in your formulas are all correct.”
Step 3: Click “Yes”
Click “Yes” to restore the deleted sheet, and Excel will add it back to the workbook.
It is important to note that this method only works if you have not saved the workbook after the sheet was deleted. If you have saved the workbook, there is no way to restore the deleted sheet using this method.
FAQ
Q: Can I unhide multiple sheets or columns at once in Excel?
A: Yes, you can. To unhide multiple sheets, hold down the “Ctrl” key and click on the sheet tabs you want to unhide. Then, right-click any of the selected sheet tabs and click “Unhide”. To unhide multiple columns, click and drag your mouse to highlight the columns on either side of the hidden columns, and then follow the same steps as in the “How to show hidden columns in Excel” section.
Q: Is there a way to permanently delete a sheet in Excel?
A: Yes, there is. To permanently delete a sheet in Excel, right-click the sheet tab and click “Delete”. A warning message will appear asking if you are sure you want to permanently delete the sheet. Click “Delete” to confirm, and the sheet will be permanently deleted.
Conclusion
Understanding how to show hidden sheets or columns in Excel and restore deleted sheets can be incredibly useful when working with large amounts of data. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to easily unhide hidden sheets or columns and restore deleted sheets in Excel. Remember to always close the workbook without saving if you accidentally delete a sheet, as this will give you the best chance of restoring the sheet.
Here’s a video tutorial on how to unhide sheets in Excel:
