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samserrano's avatar
samserrano
Copper Contributor
Nov 02, 2025

Hide Sheet after missusing shortcut Alt+H+W

I was working on an inventory and frequently using the shortcut mentioned above. Unfortunately, during one of those times, I must have misused it, and my sheet became hidden. Since then, I’ve tried multiple methods to unhide it, but none have worked. I would really appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue.

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excel
Excel for web
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Macros and VBA
office 365

3 Replies

  • m_tarler's avatar
    m_tarler
    Bronze Contributor
    Nov 04, 2025

    you probably clicked Alt+W+H and need to click 'unhide' on the View tab or use Alt+W+U

  • Kidd_Ip's avatar
    Kidd_Ip
    MVP
    Nov 04, 2025

    Try this:

     

    1: Try the standard unhide

    1. Right‑click on any visible sheet tab at the bottom.
    2. Select Unhide….
    3. If your missing sheet is listed, select it and click OK.

    If it’s not listed, that means it’s “Very Hidden.”

     

    2: Use the VBA editor to unhide “Very Hidden” sheets

    1. Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor.
    2. In the left pane (Project Explorer), expand your workbook.
    3. Select the sheet you can’t see.
    4. In the Properties window (press F4 if it’s not visible), look for the property Visible.
    5. Change it from xlSheetVeryHidden to xlSheetVisible.
    6. Close the VBA editor and return to Excel—the sheet should now be visible.

     

    3: Check workbook protection

    If the sheet still won’t unhide:

    • Go to Review → Protect Workbook.
    • If protection is enabled, you may need the password to unprotect before unhiding sheets.

     

     

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Platinum Contributor
    Nov 04, 2025

    If “Unhide” is grayed out or doesn’t show your sheet, it’s likely very hidden, which Excel for Web cannot unhide directly.

     

    Open the workbook in Excel Desktop

    Excel Online cannot unhide sheets that are set to “very hidden” via VBA. You need to:

    1. Click File → Open in Desktop App.
    2. Go to the Developer tab → Visual Basic (press Alt+F11).
    3. In the VBA Project Explorer, find your workbook and locate the hidden sheet.
    4. Select the sheet and look at the Properties window (press F4).
    5. Check the Visible property:
    • -1 - xlSheetVisible → sheet is visible
    • 0 - xlSheetHidden → sheet can be unhidden from menu
    • 2 - xlSheetVeryHidden → only VBA can unhide
    1. Change it to -1 - xlSheetVisible.
    2. Close the VBA editor and return to Excel. The sheet should now appear.

     

    Be careful with shortcuts like Alt+H+W in desktop Excel — that’s the “Hide Sheet” shortcut. If used repeatedly, it can hide sheets unintentionally.

    Excel Online does not have a direct way to access the VBA Project, so any “very hidden” sheets must be managed in the desktop version.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.