Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Unhiding Multiple Worksheets.
When you choose to hide worksheets in a workbook, Excel allows you to hide multiple sheets with one action: all you need to do is select the sheets before actually doing the hiding. Unhiding worksheets is a different story, however. Excel only allows you to unhide one at a time. If you have many worksheets you want to unhide, this can be very tedious.
The only way around this is to use a macro to unhide the worksheets. The following VBA macro will unhide all the worksheets in the current workbook:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: 
Sub UnhideAllSheets()
Dim wsSheet As Worksheet
For Each wsSheet In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
wsSheet.Visible = xlSheetVisible
Next wsSheet
End Sub
If you would rather not unhide all the worksheets at once, you can cause the macro to ask about each hidden worksheet and then unhide each that you agree to unhide. The following macro will handle this task:
Sub UnhideSomeSheets()
Dim sSheetName As String
Dim sMessage As String
Dim Msgres As VbMsgBoxResult
For Each wsSheet In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
If wsSheet.Visible = xlSheetHidden Then
sSheetName = wsSheet.Name
sMessage = "Unhide the following sheet?" _
& vbNewLine & sSheetName
Msgres = MsgBox(sMessage, vbYesNo)
If Msgres = vbYes Then wsSheet.Visible = xlSheetVisible
End If
Next wsSheet
End Sub
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2603) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Unhiding Multiple Worksheets.
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2018-03-23 08:47:27
Bill Murry
Thank you!!! You're the best!
2016-11-04 16:16:19
TWB
This is hugely useful. The only place some data I needed was stored was in an xlsx with one tab per week, and all of the data I needed was on hidden tabs. Needed to unhide approx 52 tabs in order for my converter to pull them into CSVs. MS KB says "you have to do it individually" and I'm thinking, that's not right. Thanks for validating my hunch!
2016-09-28 15:26:37
Mary Jackson
You can create custom views to hide/unhide sheets. Add a view with all sheets unhidden. Then hide desired sheets and add another view. To access custom views: View->Custom Views->dbl-click desired view (or select view->Show)
2016-08-19 03:53:53
Paula
This is a brilliant timesaving macro, thanks :)
2016-08-18 09:33:05
Lilly
Thanks, you are a star!
2015-12-10 15:59:28
Antonio
Awesome! Sometimes MS puts a spoke in wheels, fortunately there is smart people out there!!! Thks!
2015-11-08 06:15:38
Thanks, this really make wonders.
2015-10-05 08:46:12
Clare
Great time saver - thanks!
2015-08-13 11:08:56
Stephanie
WOW - thank you SO much! It works great!
2015-08-07 10:07:44
andrew
Superb, saved me loads of time. Much obliged
2015-08-05 09:46:16
Lankester Merrin
Thanks, it worked in Excel 2013.
2015-07-13 15:00:32
Bryant
Thank you, this is wonderful. This will save several minutes a day un-hiding many, many, tabs. Those minutes add up!
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
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