Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 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: Disappearing Status Bar.
Catherine uses keystrokes where she can (instead of the mouse) and she seems to periodically hit a key combination which makes the status bar disappear. She has yet to discover what the keystroke combination is or how to get the status bar back without shutting Excel down and restarting.
The only way that this can happen in Excel 2007 or later versions is through the use of a macro. This is because the capability to turn off the status bar, which was present in earlier versions of Excel, was removed starting with Excel 2007. (A user cannot turn it off, but a macro can.)
Thus, if your status bar is disappearing as you are using Excel, then it stands to reason that there is a macro on your system that is being triggered (perhaps by a shortcut key you are pressing) and the macro is turning off the status bar. You'll need to do some poking through your macros to see if this is, indeed, the case.
If there are no macros, then it is most possible that you are pressing, in sequence, a shortcut such as Alt+W, E. This puts Excel into full-screen mode, which means that the worksheet takes up the maximum possible space on the screen. In this mode the status bar is not displayed. You can get out of this viewing mode by simply pressing Esc at any time.
Another teqhnique to try is to click on the File tab of the ribbon and then go back to your worksheet. Some ExcelTips readers advised that this method works when their status bar disappears.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9144) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Disappearing Status Bar.
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2020-05-08 18:20:12
Bert
@Byran, was right in my case.
Used Excel 365.
I created a macro that had "Application.DisplayStatusBar = False" in my first loop to turn the status bar off.
Once the task has been completed, last loop turn "Application.DisplayStatusBar = True" back on.
I triggered a debug error because it could not find my task and "Application.DisplayStatusBar = False" stayed off.
Second, converted the file from xlsx to xlsm (macro enabled). The saved file stayed stuck in "Application.DisplayStatusBar = False" mode and all future files non-macro & macro files stayed in the false display mode.
I shutdown Excel 365. Open a non-macro file. It had display status bar came on because normal xlsx files default is "Application.DisplayStatusBar = True". All future macro and non-macro files shows display status bar = true mode.
Although two options comments below are faster and more elegant than my conservative method. At least, I know why it happened after reading the comments below.
2019-04-12 03:31:43
Teun
Click on "File" and go back to your sheet.
Abracadabra - status bar appears (don't ask me why or how!?)
I know it's an old post, but I get the feeling a lot of people are struggling with this bug in the new Excel versions which you not enable the Status Bar via a simple click.
2018-04-26 04:44:42
Sylvie
@Julius Macharia Wow!! This is great... thanks.
2017-06-20 02:59:34
Julius Macharia
Press ALT + F11 (Opens the VB Editor)
Press Ctrl + G (Opens the Imediate window)
Type or copy
Application.DisplayStatusBar = True
Press Enter
This works like a dream
2017-02-14 11:41:50
Jemima
Peter Atherton
I cant thank you enough! I have been going stir crazy thinking I had done something to the file I was working and I use this toolbar constantly
So thank you!
2017-01-03 23:07:14
Beer
Peter
Thank you very much. I didn't do macro in my file but I think some working files sending from my colleague did that and that effects my entire excel.
It took me 2 weeks frustrated about this, and now my problem is solved.
2016-03-17 11:42:47
John Taylor
It is this kind of "improvement" that Microsoft insists on making that have led me and millions others to migrate to different software.
2016-03-11 19:07:16
Peter Atherton
Erik
Bryans given you the clue
Press ALT + F11 (Opens the VB Editor)
Press Ctrl + G (Opens the Imediate window)
Type or copy
Application.DisplayStatusBar = True
Press Enter
2016-03-09 23:20:24
venkatramanan
i need about the advance excel. I am interest to learn the same. Pl guide me for the advance excel and it is required any further installation from the existing excel.
2016-03-07 19:21:15
Erik
Nope. You've missed something.
I've got no status bar on a brand new spreadsheet. No macros. No data of any kind.
And no, it's not on full-screen.
2014-03-03 09:58:14
Bryan
When you are "poking around" your macros, you should be looking for "Application.DisplayStatusBar = False"...
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.
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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 Office 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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