Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 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: Displaying a Hidden First Column.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 29, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Excel makes it easy to hide and unhide columns. What isn't so easy is displaying a hidden column if that column is the left-most column in the worksheet. For instance, if you hide column A, Excel will dutifully follow out your instructions. If you later want to unhide column A, the solution isn't so obvious.
To unhide the left-most columns of a worksheet when they are hidden, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Go To dialog box.
Another way to display the first column is to click on the header for column B, and then drag the mouse to the left. If you release the mouse button when the pointer is over the gray block that marks the intersection of the row and column headers (the blank gray block just above the row headers), then column B and everything to its left, including the hidden column A, are selected. You can then display the Home tab of the ribbon and click Format | Hide & Unhide | Unhide Columns.
A third method is even niftier, provided you have a good eye and a steady mouse pointer. If you move your mouse pointer into the column header area, and then slowly move it to the left, you notice that it turns into a double-headed arrow with a blank spot in the middle as you position the pointer over the small area immediately to the left of the column B header. This double-headed arrow is a bit difficult to describe; it looks most closely like the double-headed arrow that appears when you position the pointer over the dividing line between column headers. It is different, however, because instead of a black line dividing the double arrows, there are two black lines with a gap between them.
When your mouse pointer changes to this special double-headed arrow, all you have to do is right-click and choose Unhide. Your previously missing column A magically reappears.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9012) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Displaying a Hidden First Column.
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2023-12-29 09:29:42
Dave Roberts
Another method is to select A1 in the Name Box. Then change the Column Width to whatever number desired and press enter. I change column widths a lot so I've got the Column Width shortcut on my QAT.
2021-11-12 09:14:52
Tomek
@Alan,
It depends on the image settings and on the size of the image in comparison to column A.
1. If the image does not extend beyond the right edge of column A ***and*** it is set to "Move and Size with cells, it will hide when you hide the column A.
If it extends beyond the right edge of column A with the same setting, its width will be scaled down so that its right edge stays in the same position in the column it is in.
2. If its property is set to "Don't move or size with cells" it will stay visible, independent of relative size. The columns will just move behind the image.
3. If its property is set to "Move but don't size with cells" it will stay visible, but will move to the left edge of the screen if it was not there already.
2021-11-11 10:54:42
Alan
A slightly different issue with the left-most column>
I have an image located in the first Column A. Irrespective of which of the 3 move properties radio buttons I select, the image remains where it was, being visible on screen over/in Column B, when I hide Column A.
2019-07-25 10:23:07
Willy Vanhaelen
@Jonathan Woods
Your method works fine if only column A is hidden. You can't use it if there are also other hidden columns you want to stay hidden
2019-07-24 08:30:59
Jonathan Woods
I've never had a problem un-hiding a hidden column A. Here's an even easier method than the three ways presented.
- Select the whole worksheet: Click on the grey block that marks the intersection of the row and column headers (the blank grey block just above the row headers).
- Move the mouse to column "B" header. (As if you were going to select column B, but don't click) The cursor becomes a black down arrow.
Right Click to get the menu. Then "Unhide".
3 clicks in total.
2019-07-15 09:28:28
Rick K
I use this simple Macro in my personal workbook to unhide everything
Sub SeeALL()
Columns("A:XFD").EntireColumn.Hidden = False
Rows("1:1048576").EntireRow.Hidden = False
Range("A1").Select
end sub
2019-07-13 12:27:36
BB
With the second tip, you can move cursor to column B, right click and select unhide instead of going Home, Format, | Hide & Unhide | Unhide Columns
2019-07-13 11:13:46
Willy Vanhaelen
When you scroll off the screen column A and then freeze the first column now being column B you will never see column A and it appears to be hidden.
In this case the 3 methods discribed in this tip will not work because column A is not really hidden, it is simply not visible. You can then only see it again by unfreezing panes in the Window section of the View Tab.
2019-07-13 09:55:09
JB
With the third method you can also left-click and drag to the right to unhide the column(s).
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 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:
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