Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 18, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Tom notes that in older versions of Excel he would use Ctrl+0 to hide selected columns and Ctrl+Shift+0 to unhide those columns. When he upgraded to a much newer version of Excel, however, only the Ctrl+0 worked for him, not Ctrl+Shift+0. Tom wonders if Microsoft changed one shortcut but not the other.
There was no change in the shortcuts; they both still work just fine in later versions of Excel. If the second shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+0) doesn't work on your system, it could be because there is some add-in being loaded that stops the shortcut from working properly or, perhaps, because a custom shortcut key has been defined that uses the same keypress. Probably a more likely reason the second shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+0) doesn't work is because this keypress is being used by the Windows operating system for use in switching language keyboards. The following Microsoft Support article explains the process to go through in order to reassign this keypress back to Excel to unhide columns in earlier versions of Microsoft Windows:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/967893/input-method-editor-keyboard-shortcut-ctrl-shift-0-switches-the-input
If you are using the Windows 10 operating system, follow these steps to reassign the Ctrl+Shift+0 shortcut back to Excel:
You will now be able to use Ctrl+Shift+0 to unhide the columns.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the only way that Ctrl+Shift+0 works is if you have at least one hidden column selected before you use it. For example, if you hide columns D and E, you can later unhide them by selecting columns C through F (which obviously includes the hidden columns) and then pressing the shortcut.
Finally, you should be aware that both of these shortcuts only work if you use the 0 key on the main keyboard. They won't work if you use the 0 key on the numeric keypad.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7757) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
If you have a bunch of hidden columns in your worksheet, you might want to unhide only a portion of those columns. This ...
Discover MoreWant to hide a column so it doesn't appear in the worksheet? It's easy to do using the formatting capabilities of Excel.
Discover MoreDo you want to set a column's width based on whatever is in the currently selected cell? There are actually a number of ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-10-14 04:37:53
Peter Atherton
Seeing the post by Pete reminds me that Lotus 123 worked similarly; it was probably the same on all DOS-based spreadsheets.
Ctrl + O was used to Open a File and
Ctrl + S to save the file (I still use this often)
/fa to save the file as ...
2020-10-13 16:39:02
Pete
Shortcuts to Hide Columns
I know I have extolled the virtue of the old Supercalc commands before and this is another good example
/och to hide a column
/ocu to unhide a column
so much more straight forward and no multi-key ctrl+alt+ fiddling! Works every time!
Keep up the good work!
2019-06-01 15:31:59
Allan
I tried Ctl+0 in W7. It did nothing.
Here is a very simple way to accomplish hide/unhide rows, columns.
Hide
Rt clk row(s)/column(s) want to hide>Hide
Unhide
Select rows on either side of the hidden set>rt clk>Unhide
2019-06-01 05:43:50
Chris van Zyl
Thanks for this Allen. Some additional information: Restoring a hidden column A can be problematical; selecting B and doing Ctrl+Shift+0 doesn't work. I have had trouble with this in the past. The solution is to select everything (Ctrl+A or click on the screen top left, at the intersection of the column of row numbers and the row of column letters) first. Ctrl+Shift+0 now has the desired effect (while a right-click, then Unhide doesn't).
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments