Missing Row Numbers

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 2, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021

1

Mitch has suddenly lost the row numbers on the far left of his workbooks. He wonders how he can get them back.

This could be a matter as simple as your Excel program window being "off screen" just a bit on the left. If so, then use the mouse to click in the title bar area of the window and drag the window to the right. You can also adjust the size of the program window, if necessary.

There is a setting in Excel that controls the display of row numbers (which Microsoft refers to as "row headers") at the left side of your worksheet. This setting simultaneously controls the display of the column headers at the top of the worksheet. The easiest way to access this setting is to follow these steps:

  1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 and later versions display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. At the left of the dialog box click Advanced.
  3. Scroll through the available options until you see the Display Options for this Worksheet section. (See Figure 1.)

    4. Figure 1. The Advanced options of the Excel Options dialog box.

  4. Make sure the Show Row and Column Headers check box is selected.
  5. Make sure the Show Sheet Right-to-Left check box is cleared.
  6. Click on OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9899) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021.

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. ...

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What is five less than 5?

2022-04-02 10:07:38

J. Woolley

The row/column labels (headers) are toggled ON/OFF by the worksheet’s Window property DisplayHeadings. For the active worksheet, the following VBA statement will toggle both:
    ActiveWindow.DisplayHeadings = Not ActiveWindow.DisplayHeadings
To set them ON for all worksheets in the active workbook:
    Dim WS as Worksheet
    For Each WS In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
        WS.Activate
        ActiveWindow.DisplayHeadings = True
    Next WS
My Excel Toolbox includes the WindowDressing macro, which will toggle several such properties for the active worksheet or all worksheets. A screenshot is included in my recent comment added to the following Tip:
https://excelribbon.tips.net/T009308_Controlling_Where_You_Edit_Cell_Contents.html

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