Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: How Many Rows and Columns Have I Selected?.

How Many Rows and Columns Have I Selected?

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 26, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365


4

As I am typing along in Excel, I find it a bother to take my hands off the keyboard and fumble for the mouse. Thus, I will often use the keyboard to make selections. I simply hold down the Shift key and use the arrow keys to expand my selection. As I do so, Excel obliges me by reporting, in the Name box, the number of rows and columns I have selected.

The problem is, once I let go of the Shift key, the contents of the Name box return to normal, and I can no longer tell how many rows and columns I selected. To solve this, I find it very easy to again hold down the Shift key and press one of the arrow keys. This expands the selected range and again reports the selection size in the Name box. If I immediately press the opposite arrow key (while still holding down the Shift key), the selection returns to my original size and I can see the size of that selection in the Name box.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8849) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: How Many Rows and Columns Have I Selected?.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Table Numbers are Skipped

What do you do if you add numbered captions to an element of your document (such as tables) and Word skips a number? ...

Discover More

Putting Character Codes to Work

If you know the character codes for some characters of interest, you can use those codes to do lots of tasks. This tip ...

Discover More

Generating a Unique ID Number

If you are keeping track of people or things within Excel, you may want to devise unique ID numbers you can use for those ...

Discover More

Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel 2013 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Separating Text by Color

Excel allows you to use multiple colors to format the text in a cell. If you want to later separate that text to ...

Discover More

Repeating a Pattern when Copying or Filling Cells

The fill tool can be a great help in copying patterns of information in a column. It isn't so great, though, when the ...

Discover More

Copying from the Task Bar

When you select cells in a worksheet, there is a good chance that if you glance at the Task Bar, you'll see some ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 7?

2024-10-29 10:01:31

J. Woolley

@Mechie
And if you use the mouse to select a bunch of cells and press Shift before releasing the mouse button, the Name box does NOT return to normal after the mouse button is released even if Shift is subsequently released.


2024-10-28 14:55:41

Mechie

Just discovered something.

If I use the mouse drag method to select a bunch of cells, it will show the number of rows and columns as long as the mouse button is held down. Once you release it, the Name box returns to showing just the active cell address.

However, if I use the Shift and Arrow keys to select a range, then the Name box does retain the number of rows and columns after releasing the shift button. Also works if I expand a range using Shift and Arrow keys that was previously selected using just the mouse.

Interesting. Never paid attention to this before so can't say if it is a change or not. And would like to hear Microsoft's reasoning for having the two different selection methods respond differently. Almost have to wonder if this is by design, or just chance.


2024-10-26 11:01:26

Allen

Huh. You are correct, James. I just checked on my latest 365, and it doesn't go away. This must be a very recent change, as it didn't work that way previously.

-Allen


2024-10-26 10:51:46

J. Woolley

I'm using Excel 365. When I "let go of the Shift key" as described in the Tip's second paragraph, the contents of the Name box does NOT return to normal; I can still see how many rows and columns I selected. I wonder which version of Excel modified the behavior described in the Tip.


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.