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: Setting Cell Width and Height Using the Keyboard.

Setting Cell Width and Height Using the Keyboard

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 15, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Sawan wonders if there is a way to adjust the height and width of a cell by using the keyboard, without using the mouse. (Some people are really adverse to using the mouse!) The answer is yes, there is a way. The problem, however, is that it isn't a terribly intuitive way.

Here's how you set the row height:

  1. Press Alt+o. Excel displays the Format menu.
  2. Press r. Excel chooses the Row option and displays a submenu.
  3. Press e. Excel chooses the Height option and displays the Row Height dialog box.
  4. Type the value you want for the row height.
  5. Press Enter.

The method for changing the column width is equally obtuse:

  1. Press Alt+o. Excel displays the Format menu.
  2. Press c. Excel chooses the Column option and displays a submenu.
  3. Press w. Excel chooses the Width option and displays the Column Width dialog box.
  4. Type the value you want for the column width.
  5. Press Enter.

Here's a different method of changing the row height:

  1. Press Shift+Spacebar. Excel selects the entire row.
  2. Press Shift+F10 to display a Context menu. (This is the same menu you see if you were to right-click on the selection.)
  3. Press R to indicate you want to change the row height. Excel displays the Row Height dialog box.
  4. Type the value you want for the row height.
  5. Press Enter.

A similar sequence will work for setting the column width:

  1. Press Ctrl+Spacebar. Excel selects the entire column.
  2. Press Shift+F10 to display a Context menu. (This is the same menu you see if you were to right-click on the selection.)
  3. Press C twice to choose the second "C" command in the Context menu (Column Width).
  4. Press Enter. Excel displays the Column Width dialog box.
  5. Type the value you want for the column width.
  6. Press Enter.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3529) 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: Setting Cell Width and Height Using the Keyboard.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Applying Bold Italics

Applying bold and italics formatting to text is easy in Word. If you want to apply bold and italics simultaneously, you ...

Discover More

Automatic Scrolling

Spend a lot of time scrolling around in your document? You might find one of Word's hidden scrolling commands to be a ...

Discover More

Changing Roman Numerals to Arabic

In some documents Roman numerals might be used quite a bit. If you ever want to change the Roman numerals to their Arabic ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

When is Currency Not Currency?

One of the tools available for formatting cells is one called "Currency." This can be misleading, as it doesn't really ...

Discover More

Formatting for Hundredths of Seconds

When you display a time in a cell, Excel normally displays just the hours, minutes, and seconds. If you want to display ...

Discover More

Turning Off Names

You can use some of the tools in Excel to convert cell references in formulas into names. Converting back (from names ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 8 - 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.