Hide and unhide

Copper Contributor

I have a spreadsheet 3077 x BV, far wider than my screen can cope with.

So I frequently have to hide considerable numbers of columns to navigate around and edit lines and columns.

However when I unhide a set of columns, the cursor is placed at the top to the spreadsheet, even though my working cell may be 2000 lines lower down.  It is a very fiddly process returning to that position.

How can the position of the working cell be retained while the view is changed?

 

4 Replies

@C V Horie 

By default, Excel positions the cursor at the top-left cell (A1) when you unhide columns or perform other actions that change the view. However, there are a couple of workarounds you can try to retain the position of the working cell while unhiding columns:

  1. Use Freeze Panes: Instead of hiding and unhiding columns, you can use the Freeze Panes feature to keep specific columns (or rows) visible while you navigate through the spreadsheet. This way, you can navigate to your desired cell even after unhiding columns without losing your place.
    • Select the cell below and to the right of the area you want to freeze (e.g., if you want to freeze columns A to C, select cell D2).
    • Go to the "View" tab in the Excel ribbon.
    • Click on "Freeze Panes" and choose "Freeze Panes" from the dropdown menu.

This will keep the selected rows and columns frozen, allowing you to scroll through the spreadsheet while retaining your working cell's position.

  1. Use Named Ranges: Another approach is to define a named range for your working cell or range of cells before hiding columns. After unhiding columns, you can quickly navigate to the named range using the "Go To" feature.
    • Select the working cell(s) or range of cells you want to define as a named range.
    • Go to the "Formulas" tab in the Excel ribbon.
    • Click on "Define Name" and enter a name for the range (e.g., "WorkingCell").
    • After unhiding columns, press Ctrl+G or F5 to open the "Go To" dialog box.
    • Type the name of the named range (e.g., "WorkingCell") and click "OK" to navigate to the specified cell.

This method allows you to quickly jump back to your working cell after unhiding columns.

By using Freeze Panes or named ranges, you can maintain your working cell's position while hiding and unhiding columns, making it easier to navigate through large spreadsheets. Choose the method that suits your workflow and preferences.

The text and the steps were created with the help of AI.

 

My answer is voluntary and without guarantee.

 

Hope this will help you.

@C V Horie 

On which Excel version you are and how you do that? For example, I'm here

image.png

Select columns B and CO with pressed Ctrl. Right click, Unhide. And I'm still at the same place

image.png

@SergeiBaklan 

Thank you. I am using Office 2021.

I repeated what you showed and had no problem.

Next time I am doing this operation, I shall pay more attention to what I click to find where I am going wrong.

@C V Horie , glad to know it sorted out, thank you for the update