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.

Unhiding Multiple Worksheets

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 4, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


13

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:

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:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

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.

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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Comments

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What is 7 + 4?

2021-04-02 02:25:40

Wiz

Update: Unhiding multiple sheets in Excel is now possible. See https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel-blog/unhide-multiple-worksheets/ba-p/2234073


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

Jude

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!


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