Ever opened an Excel sheet and found half your data missing? Happened to me last Tuesday when I was prepping for a client report. Spent 20 frantic minutes before realizing someone had hidden entire sections. Sound familiar? That panic moment is why we're talking about how to excel unhide all rows properly today. And trust me, it's not always as simple as right-clicking.
Why Rows Get Hidden in Excel (Beyond the Obvious)
Most people think rows only hide intentionally. Not true. Last month, my intern accidentally hid three months of sales data by dragging row dividers. Here's what actually causes disappearing rows:
| Culprit | How It Happens | Real-Life Example |
|---|---|---|
| Manual hiding | Right-click > Hide or Ctrl+9 shortcut | Hiding sensitive salary columns |
| Accidental dragging | Grabbing row border too far up | Making rows 0.1px tall |
| Filters | Applying column filters | "Show only Q3 data" hides other quarters |
| Grouping | Using Data > Group function | Collapsing monthly details |
| VBA scripts | Macros with .Hidden = True | Automated report formatting |
| Corrupted files | Software glitches | After Excel crash recovery |
Step-by-Step: Unhiding All Rows Like a Pro
You'd think unhiding rows would be straightforward. But Excel loves hiding options in weird places. Here's what actually works:
The Standard Method (Quick & Dirty)
This works 80% of the time:
- Click the triangle icon between A and 1 (top-left corner) to select entire worksheet
- Right-click any row number on the left
- Choose "Unhide" from the menu
But here's the kicker - this won't work if you've got frozen panes or split screens. Learned that hard way during a budget meeting.
Keyboard Ninja Method
When your mouse is being stubborn:
| Action | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Select entire sheet | Ctrl+A twice | Command+A twice |
| Open row format menu | Alt+H O U L | Control+1 |
| Unhide rows directly | Alt O R U H | No direct equivalent |
Confession: I still use mouse method because my brain refuses to remember Alt sequences. But our Excel guru Brad swears by them.
Nuclear Option: VBA Unhide All Rows
When nothing else works, this macro never fails:
Sub UnhideAllRowsEverywhere()
On Error Resume Next
ActiveSheet.Cells.EntireRow.Hidden = False
For Each ws In ActiveWorkbook.Sheets
ws.Cells.EntireRow.Hidden = False
Next ws
End Sub
To use this:
- Press Alt+F11 to open VBA editor
- Insert > New Module
- Paste above code
- Press F5 to run
Troubleshooting Stubborn Cases
Sometimes rows refuse to reappear. Based on tech support tickets I've handled:
| Symptom | Diagnosis | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Unhide greyed out | Sheet protection enabled | Review > Unprotect Sheet |
| Rows partially visible | Row height minimized | Drag row border or set height > 0 |
| Only some rows appear | Filter active | Data > Clear Filter |
| Groups (+/-) visible | Outline grouping applied | Data > Ungroup > Clear Outline |
| Nothing works | Corrupted file | Save as .xlsx or open in Google Sheets |
Weirdest case I encountered? Hidden rows reappeared after changing printer settings. Still don't understand why.
Preventive Maintenance Tips
After losing data twice last year, I now follow these religiously:
- Color-code hidden rows: Make hidden rows light gray before hiding (View > Custom Views)
- Add visibility toggle: Create button with this macro:
Sub ToggleRowVisibility() If Selection.EntireRow.Hidden Then Selection.EntireRow.Hidden = False Else Selection.EntireRow.Hidden = True End If End Sub - Template hygiene: Never distribute sheets with hidden rows without documentation
FAQ: Real Questions from My Inbox
Why won't Excel let me unhide all rows in protected sheets?
Because unhiding rows requires format permission. Either unprotect (if you know password) or have admin add "Format Rows" permission during protection setup.
Can I permanently prevent row hiding?
Sort of. Use Data Validation > Input Message with warning text. Or protect workbook structure via Review > Protect Workbook.
Do hidden rows affect formulas?
Absolutely. SUM functions still include them but SUBTOTAL(9,...) ignores hidden rows. Caused major variance in my Q3 report last year.
How to quickly spot hidden rows?
Look for missing row numbers (like 15,16,19) or thick lines between rows. Or use Go To Special (F5 > Special > Visible cells only).
Can I recover permanently deleted rows?
Not through Excel. But if you saved recently, try previous versions via File > Info > Version History (only works with OneDrive/SharePoint).
Third-Party Tools Worth Considering
When native Excel fails, these saved me multiple times:
| Tool | Best For | Price | My Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutools for Excel | Batch unhiding multiple sheets | $39.99 | Overpowered for simple tasks |
| ASAP Utilities | Corrupted files recovery | Free/$39 | Saved quarterly report once |
| XL Repair Toolbox | Severe file corruption | $27-$197 | Last resort option |
Advanced: Power Query Unhiding Technique
For recurring reports needing hidden rows removed permanently:
- Data > Get Data > From Workbook
- Select target workbook
- In Navigator, select specific sheets
- Click Transform Data
- Power Query ignores hidden rows by default
Bonus: Creates self-updating reports that skip hidden rows automatically. Implemented this for our monthly sales pipeline.
When You Shouldn't Unhide All Rows
Surprisingly:
- When working with filtered tables (breaks filter logic)
- In shared workbooks with active users (causes conflicts)
- Protected templates where rows contain formulas
- Sheets using Camera Objects linked to specific ranges
Honestly, I once broke our commission calculator by unhiding all rows indiscriminately.
The Psychology of Hidden Rows
Fun fact: In our company's 200 spreadsheets audit:
- 42% had hidden rows with sensitive data
- 31% had accidentally hidden rows
- 17% used hiding for presentation views
- 10% had legacy hidden rows nobody understood
Moral: Document your hidden sections folks!
Look, mastering excel unhide all rows commands separates casual users from pros. But remember - sometimes hidden rows exist for good reasons. Last week I found hidden columns with tax calculations dating back to 2015. Probably shouldn't have unhid those... But that's another story.
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