Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 18, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Lars has a worksheet that has a large amount of data—approximately 5,000 rows. At the top of the worksheet he has a graph based on that data, with the data itself starting at row 30. He has the top 30 rows frozen so that he can always see the graph and column headings. When he scrolls down through the data and gets to row 1000, the row labels (left side of screen) become wider and this forces Excel to redraw the graph. The redrawing slows down scrolling and would be unnecessary if Lars could find a way to set a width for the row labels, so they were wide enough to accommodate the four digits necessary for these "upper" rows.
There are a few ways you can approach this issue. The first is to simply turn off the row and column headings. To do so, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Advanced options of the Excel Options dialog box.
Now you won't have the problem because Excel doesn't display the row headers at the left of the screen. If you really need to have some indication as to row number, you could always insert a blank column A, then insert numbers representing the row numbers, 1 through 5,000 (or however many rows there are). This column could be made as wide as necessary, so there won't be any redrawing as you scroll.
Another approach is to actually start your data and graph below row 1000. Insert enough blank rows above your graph and data to move them down into the four-digit row number range, and then hide rows 1 through 999.
A variant on this approach is to keep your graph where it is and insert enough rows to move just the data downward, so it starts at row 1000. Hide rows 30 through 999 and you should see no redrawing occur as you scroll.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11677) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Setting the Width for Row Labels.
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 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
By using a command-line switch, Excel can be started in safe mode. This means that the program is loaded with bare-bones ...
Discover MoreWhen you select a range of cells, Excel normally displays the sum of those selected cells on the status bar. If the sum ...
Discover MoreIn order to make working with a workbook comfortable, you often need to set both a window size and a zoom level for the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2024-10-20 15:38:15
Alec W
You could also put the chart somewhere else and show it where you want to using the camera tool
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 © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments