J-Walk & Associates, Inc.

Hiding & Unhiding With Shortcut Keys

According to the Excel Help system, you can use these key combinations to hide and unhide rows and columns within a selection:

• Hide rows: Ctrl+9
• Unhide rows: Ctrl+Shift+9
• Hide columns: Ctrl+0 (that's a zero)
• Unhide columns: Ctrl+Shift+0 (also a zer0)

They all work for me except the last one. It fails for Excel 2003, Excel 2007, and Excel 2010 (running Vista).

A bit of Googling tells me that others have the same problem. One theory is that the OS is intercepting that key combination before it gets to Excel.

Does Ctrl+Shift+0 work for you? If so, which OS and Excel version do you use? Note that to unhide columns, you must select a range of cells that includes columns to the left and to the right of the hidden columns.

- Reader Comments -

Following are comments in response to this item.
The most recent comment is at the bottom.

1. By Jason. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 4:43pm

   It worked on my computer! I use Excel 2007 and have Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 on my computer.
   
   Jason
2. By Bill. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 5:26pm

   Windows 7 & Excel 2007:
   
   Ctrl + 0 works to hide
   
   Ctrl + Shift + 0 does not unhide the hidden columns using above.
3. By Bao Wenqi. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 5:30pm

   It worked on my computer also! I use Excel 2007 and have Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 service package 3 on my computer.
4. By John Walkenbach. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 5:55pm

   Just as I thought. I know it USED to work for me - but that was when I was using Windows XP.
5. By Daniel Ferry. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 6:44pm

   John,
   
   It's working fine for me as well on WinXP Pro and Excel 2007.
6. By OmarF. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 7:16pm

   I tried it on a Vista system with 2007. Works fine.
7. By Jon Peltier. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 7:57pm

   Excel 2003 and Windows 7 Ultimate: Ctrl-Shift-Zero is broken.
8. By Jon Peltier. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 7:58pm

   P.S. I like the way you spelled "zero" with a zero.
9. By sam. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 8:23pm

   Vista and above - Crtl+Shift+0 - fails - irrespective of the excel version.
10. By Robert. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 8:26pm

    Windows 7 and Microsoft Excel 2007:
    
    neither Ctrl-0 nor Ctrl-Shift-0 work
    
    but
    
    Ctrl-8 and Ctrl-Shift-8 work
11. By John Walkenbach. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 9:03pm

    So #6 blows the Windows XP-only theory. It must be some other software that's interfering.
12. By Rick Rothstein (MVP - Excel). Comment posted 11 April, 2010 9:47pm

    Does this help any?
    
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967893
13. By vlatte. Comment posted 11 April, 2010 11:14pm

    My Ctr + Shift + 0 didn't work for Excel 2003 or 2007 with Vista until I followed Rick Rothstein's Microsoft support link and followed the instructions.
    
    Boy was that setting buried, but now I can unhide columns using the short cut keys.
14. By Joe. Comment posted 12 April, 2010 1:05am

    Worked on my computer - Using Excel 2007 and 2003 - Windows XP Pro
15. By Marc. Comment posted 12 April, 2010 4:05am

    Excellent find, that's been annoying me for the last month since switching to a new laptop with both [new for me] office 2007 and windows 7. Thanks so much!
16. By John Walkenbach. Comment posted 12 April, 2010 6:19am

    Good find, Rick. And yes, that setting is really buried.
17. By Bill Royal. Comment posted 12 April, 2010 3:10pm

    Both the Hide and unhide columns keyboard shortcuts work on my machine: Acer Travelmate 2423 WXCi laptop running XP Home SP3 and Office 2003 (11.5612.5606)
18. By UKPhil. Comment posted 13 April, 2010 4:36am

    All working for me
    XP Professional SP3
    Office 2003
19. By Grba. Comment posted 13 April, 2010 5:04am

    Shortcut Ctrl+Shift+0 works in Excel at my post:
    - Windows 7 + Office 2010 Beta
    - Windowx Vista + Office 2007
    - Windows XP (virtual) + Office 2007
    - Windows XP (virtual) + Office 2003
    
    I checked that MSKB article, too. Well, I use system keyboard switcher a lot, but I fixed the three layouts to Alt+Shift+[8|9|0] a long time ago.
20. By Damian. Comment posted 23 April, 2010 11:05pm

    Thanks Rick. Google took me here and after following your link it works now.
21. By Wendy!. Comment posted 11 May, 2010 12:38am

    Wow. That was fun!
22. By adrienneQ. Comment posted 15 June, 2010 2:35am

    Wored on XP- profesional with Excel 2010
23. By krishna. Comment posted 21 October, 2010 7:03am

    It worked with xp operating system and excel 2003
24. By Rahul. Comment posted 21 December, 2010 4:43am

    For me also last one does not work well. But the above all works well.I am using windows 7 and Excel 2003.
    
    http://godwinsblog.cdtech.in/2010/12/microsoft-office-excel-add-in-plug-in.html
25. By Kris. Comment posted 23 March, 2011 1:44am

    Hi Rick,
    
    The link
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967893 worked for me! Thanks a ton.
    
    Kris
26. By Guilherme Poleto. Comment posted 10 April, 2011 6:40pm

    It works for me! Windows 7 + Office 2010
27. By mariel_ar. Comment posted 15 April, 2011 7:57am

    XP SP3 - Excel 2007 v.12.0.6545.5000
    
    All work fine.
    
    Rgrds,
28. By fonthiller. Comment posted 01 November, 2011 10:46am

    This cured it (running Win7 & Excel 2010):
    
    http://superuser.com/questions/183197/whats-the-keyboard-shortcut-to-unhide-a-column-in-excel-2010