Fixed Freeze Panes not Working in Excel 2023 | Stellar

Fixed Freeze Panes not Working in Excel 2023 | Stellar

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[Fixed]: Freeze Panes not Working in Excel

Summary: This blog discusses the “freeze panes not working” issue in Excel. It mentions the possible reasons behind the issue and offers workarounds and methods to fix it. If the issue is associated with corruption in the Excel file, you can use the specialized Excel repair tool mentioned in the blog to repair the affected file.

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The freeze panes feature in Excel is used to freeze the row/column headings to keep them visible while scrolling the worksheet. It is a useful feature when you’re working on a large worksheet containing data that exceeds the rows and columns on the screen. Sometimes, you notice that the ‘Excel freeze panes feature is not working’. There could be numerous factors that can trigger this issue. Let’s know the reasons for the freeze pane not working issue in Excel and how to resolve this issue.

Why can’t I freeze panes in excel?

Several factors may contribute to the Excel freeze panes not working issue in Excel. A few of them are:

  • The cell editing mode is enabled in the workbook in which you are trying to use the Freeze Panes feature.
  • The Excel file is corrupted.
  • The worksheet is protected.
  • Advanced Options are disabled in Excel Settings.
  • The Excel application is not up-to-date.
  • You might be trying to lock rows in the middle of the worksheet.
  • Your Excel workbook is not in normal file preview mode.
  • Wrong/incorrect positioning of the frozen panes.

How to fix ‘Freeze Panes not Working’ in Excel?

The freeze panes option is available in the View bar. Sometimes, you’re unable to see the View option. It usually occurs if you are using the Excel Started version. Check and try to open the file in the advanced Excel version, which supports all the features. If you are using the advanced Excel version, then try the below workarounds to fix the freeze panes not working issue in Excel.

Workaround 1: Exit the Cell Editing Mode

If your Excel file is switched from normal file view mode to cell editing mode, you can encounter the freeze panes not working issue. In cell editing mode, certain features in Excel, such as the freeze panes, are temporarily disabled to prevent any conflicts. You can disable cell editing mode by pressing the ESC or Enter key. Now locate the View tab and check whether the freeze pane feature is working. If not, then try the next workaround.

Workaround 2: Change the Page Layout View

The Excel freeze panes not working issue can also occur if your workbook is opened in Page Layout view. The Page Layout view doesn’t support freeze panes. If you select page layout, the freeze panes option gets disabled.

Excel freeze panes not working in Page Layout view

To enable the freeze pane option, go to View and click the Page Break Preview tab.

enable freeze panes in excel page break  preview tab

Workaround 3: Check and Remove Options under the Data Tab

Sometimes, you can experience the “freeze panes not working” issue if Sorting, Data Filter, Group, and Subtotal options are enabled in Excel workbook. Such options, when enabled, can lead to unexpected problems with the freeze panes’ functionality. You can check and remove these features from your workbook. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Open the Excel file in which you are getting the issue.
  • Navigate to the Data tab.
  • Check and remove the below features (if enabled):
  • Sort
  • Filter
  • Group
  • Subtotal

remove sort, filter, group, and subtotal in excel step-by-step

Workaround 4: Check and Unprotect Worksheet

The freeze panes feature may stop working if your worksheet is protected. You can try to disable the worksheet protection option. Here are the steps:

  • In the Excel file, go to the Review tab.
  • Click Unprotect Sheet.

Excel Review Tab - Accessing Unprotect Sheet Option - Learn how to navigate to the Review tab in Excel and click on the 'Unprotect Sheet' function to unlock protected content.

After unprotecting the sheet, check whether the “freeze panes not working” issue is resolved. If not, follow the next workaround.

Workaround 5: Use Correct Cell Positioning

The freeze pane is not working issue in Excel can also occur when you use incorrect cell positioning to apply the freeze panes feature. Several users have reported facing this issue when trying to lock multiple rows with the wrong cell selection. So, use correct cell positioning to freeze the rows. For example, if you are trying to lock two rows in an Excel worksheet, then you need to click on 3rd row’s column.

Excel Freeze Pane Issue: Fix with Correct Cell Positioning

What if the above Workarounds Fail to Fix the Freeze Panes not Working Issue?

If none of the above workarounds works, then there are chances that the workbook is damaged or corrupt. In such a case, you can try the below methods to repair the corrupt Excel workbook.

Run Open and Repair Utility

In case of corruption in the Excel file, you can use the Open and Repair tool in Excel to repair the file. To use this utility, follow these steps:

  • In the Excel application, navigate to File and then click Open.
  • Click Browse to select the workbook in which you are facing the issue.
  • The Open dialog box is displayed. Click on the affected file.
  • Click the arrow next to the Open option and then click Open and Repair.

Excel File Repair: Steps - Open, Browse, Select, Repair

  • Click on the Repair option to recover as much data as possible.
  • You can see a completion message once the repair process is complete. Click Close.

Use a Professional Excel Repair Tool

If the Open and Repair tool doesn’t work to resolve complex file-related issues and your Excel file is severely corrupted, you can opt for a reliable third-party Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool can help you repair the Excel file and recover all the data with complete integrity. You can try the software’s demo version to scan the affected file and preview the recoverable data. The software is compatible with all MS Excel versions and Windows operating systems, including Windows 11.

Closure

The “freeze panes not working” issue in Excel can occur due to several reasons, like protected worksheet, incompatible Excel version, and incorrect cell position. Try the workarounds shared in the blog to fix the issue. If the Excel file is corrupt, you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to fix the corruption issues in the file. This tool can quickly repair the Excel file and recover all the data from the file with 100% integrity.

Top 5 Ways to Fix Excel File Not Opening Error

Summary: MS Excel users sometimes face issues while using the MS Excel application. One such issue is the Excel file not opening error. In this post, we’ve mentioned the reasons that may result in this error and the ways to resolve it. Also, you’ll find about an Excel repair software that can help you repair corrupt Excel files.

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Several Microsoft Excel users have reported encountering the ‘Excel file not opening’ error when opening their Excel file. There are several reasons that may cause this error. In this post, we’ll be discussing the reasons that may lead to the ‘Excel file not opening’ error and the top 5 ways to fix this error.

Why Does the ‘Excel File Not Opening’ Error Appear?

Following are some possible causes that may result in the ‘Excel file not opening’ error:

  1. There may be a problem with an add-in that is preventing you from opening the Excel files.
  2. There’s a chance that your Excel application is faulty.
  3. Your Excel program is unable to communicate with other programs or the operating system.
  4. The file association might have been broken. This is a common problem faced by users who have upgraded their Excel application or operating system.
  5. The file you’re trying to open is corrupted.

5 Ways to Fix Excel File Not Opening Error

Let’s explore the ways to resolve the Excel file not opening error:

1. Uncheck the Ignore DDE Checkbox

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)allows Excel to communicate with other programs. The Excel error may occur due to incorrect DDE settings. You need to ensure that the correct DDE configuration is enabled. Follow the steps provided below:

  • Launch your MS Excel file.
  • Go to File > Options.

options menu

  • Now click on Advanced.

Advanced options

  • Further, find the General option on the screen.

General Option uncheck Dynamic Data Exchange Option

  • Uncheck the option **‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)**’.
  • Click OK to save the changes.

2. Reset Excel File Associations

When you launch your Excel file, the file association ensures that the Excel application is used to open the file. You can try to reset these associations and see if Excel opens after this. Proceed with the following steps to do so:

  • Navigate to Start Menu and launch Control Panel.
  • Now, navigate to Programs > Default Programs > Set Your Default Programs.

Set-Your Default Programs

  • A new window will open. Herein, find the Excel program in the list and select it. Now, select the option ‘Choose defaults for this program’. Click OK.

Set Defaults

  • A new window for ‘Set Program Associations’ will open.
  • Check the box against the ‘Select All’ option.
  • Further, click Save to reset the Excel File Associations settings.

Set Program Associations

3. Disable Add-Ins

Many people install third-party add-ins to enhance the application’s functionality. Sometimes, these add-ins can create an issue. Follow the below-mentioned steps to disable the problem creating add-ins:

  • Launch MS Excel application.
  • Navigate to File > Options > Add-ins.

Click on Add ins Option

  • In the window that opens, go to the Manage option at the bottom.
  • Herein, select the COM Add-ins option from the dropdown list. Click Go.

Select Com Addins

  • In the COM Add-ins window, uncheck all the boxes to disable the add-ins. Click OK.

Diasble Com Add ins Checkbox

4. Repair MS Office Program

Sometimes the issue is not with your Excel file. Instead, the reason for the error can be a corrupt MS Office application. You can repair the program to fix the Excel file not opening error. Here are the steps:

  • Press the Windows + R keys to launch the ‘Run’ dialog box.

Run Dialog box

  • Enter the text ‘appwiz.cpl’ to launch the program and features window.

appwiz.cpl in the run field

  • Find the MS Office program in the list of applications.

locate Microsoft Office in the list

  • Right-click on it and select Change.
![Right Click and Select Change](https://cdn-cmlep.nitrocdn.com/DLSjJVyzoVcUgUSBlgyEUoGMDKLbWXQr/assets/images/optimized/rev-2658c43/www.stellarinfo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/right-click-and-select-change-13.png)
  • In the new window, select the Quick Repair radio button. Click Repair.

Quick Repair Option

  • Follow the on-screen instructions to repair the Office application. Once the repair process is completed, you can try opening the Excel file to see if the problem is resolved.

5. Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

The hardware graphics acceleration assists in the system’s better performance, especially when you use MS Office applications, like MS Excel or Word. Sometimes, this causes the Excel file not opening issue. You can disable this option to try to resolve the issue. Here are the steps:

  • Launch your MS Excel application.
  • Navigate to File > Options > Advanced.
  • Herein, go to the Display option.
  • Uncheck the Disable hardware graphics acceleration checkbox. Click OK.

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Uncheck Disable Hardware Acceleration

What If These Solutions Do Not Work?

If you have applied all the methods mentioned above and still cannot open your Excel file, there are chances that your file is corrupted. You can use a specialized Excel repair tool , such as Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the corrupted Excel file. This software has powerful algorithms that can scan and repair even severely corrupt Excel files, without any file size limitation. After repairing the file, it restores all the data, including tables, charts, rules, etc. to a new Excel, with 100% integrity.

To know how the software works, see the video below:

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Conclusion

Before you proceed with resolving the Excel file not opening error, try to find out the root cause of this error. If you know the real reason, you can try the method right away. If the reason for the error is corruption in the Excel file, the best option is to repair the file using a professional Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel .

4 Ways to extract data from corrupt Excel file

Summary: Excel files can become corrupt due to numerous reasons. This blog will discuss the reasons behind the corrupted Excel files. Sometimes the file becomes inaccessible. This post includes four ways to extract data from a corrupt Excel file. It also mentioned Stellar Repair for Excel to repair severely corrupted files. The tool helps you recover data from damaged Excel files with complete integrity.

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Imagine the frustration of an employee if an Excel workbook he took hours to complete became corrupted for some reason threatening to erase all the data saved in it. Not just that, a corrupted Excel workbook can wreak havoc for the organization too since it poses a risk of permanently deleting critical business information like work records or employee trackers.

Unless a backup of all important Excel files exists, recovering data lost due to damage/corruption to them is next to impossible. However, we’ve conducted some research and found some pretty neat hacks to help you extract data from corrupt excel files without much hassle.

Primary reasons triggering Excel file corruption

As we always point out, to solve a problem for good, getting to its root is imperative. Here are the main reasons that cause Excel file corruption. Knowing these reasons can help you keep Excel corruption at bay for a considerably long time.

  • Abrupt system shutdown when you’re editing an Excel sheet
  • Bugs / Defects in your Excel application or installation
  • Hardware failures like bad sectors on the hard drive where Excel sheets are saved
  • Virus Infection / Malware Attack
  • Excessive data storage within a single Excel file
  • Faulty Excel Macros and CSE Formulas

Depending upon the extent of damage, there can be several ways to perform corrupt Excel file repair.

How to repair corrupt Excel files?

There are a couple of manual methods that can help you repair corrupt Excel files .

  1. If the damaged Excel sheet can be opened, immediately save its copy; thereafter:
    • Open it with a later version of Excel and save it as a new workbook.
    • If this doesn’t work, open it in Excel’s latest version and save the workbook in HTML or HTM format.
    • Once this is done, reopen the HTML file and save again in XLS format.
    • Lastly, open the file and try saving it in SLK format (symbolic link)

Note: It is important to note that saving an Excel workbook in HTML format causes loss of features like custom views, scenarios, unused styles or number formats, natural language formulas, data consolidation settings, custom function categories, etc. In SYLK format only the active worksheet is saved so if using this method, you’ll need to repeat these steps for each worksheet.

  1. Use Excel’s inbuilt Repair function as follows:
    • Launch Microsoft Excel and go to Office button -> Open
    • In the Open dialog box, select the damaged Excel file
    • On the bottom-right corner of the Open dialog box, you will find a drop-down next to Open Click on it and select Open and Repair
    • This will launch the inbuilt Repair module of Excel and you’ll see a dialog box asking you to select an option from Repair or Extract Data
    • Click on Repair to initiate the repair process.
    • If this doesn’t work, repeat steps 1-4, and when Excel asks you to select an option, select Extract Data from corrupt excel file. Thereafter, follow the instruction Excel shows and you should be able to retrieve your data, but you may end up losing some formulas.
  2. If you cannot open the Excel, download Spreadsheet viewer from the Microsoft website and open the file using this program. Thereafter copy all data into a new Excel.

Note: This method will cause much of your formatting, formulas, and more to be lost.

  1. You can download Open Office from its official website OpenOffice.org and try opening the Excel in it. The two programs are very similar so all data should automatically align in the correct place and with the correct formatting.

Note: With this method, VBA code cannot be recovered due to incompatibility between OpenOffice.org and Excel.

Full-proof method for corrupt Excel file repair

If you find the above methods confusing, or you wish to perform Excel file repair without having to face any data and formula loss, or you cannot achieve the desired results with any of these methods, stop wasting any more time with methods that will only frustrate you more. Instead, download the sure-shot solution for dealing with severe Excel corruption –Stellar Repair for Excel  and relax!

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Stellar Repair for Excel is the best choice for repairing corrupt or damaged Excel (.XLS/.XLSX) files and restoring everything to a new blank Excel file. This competent software can skillfully repair single as well as multiple XLS/XLSX files while preserving worksheet properties and cell formatting. If you have this product by your side, you don’t need to worry about Excel corruption errors ever again.

To Conclude

Instead of giving up on corrupted Excel sheets, try repairing them with the simple tricks we’ve described. And if they don’t work, keep calm and turn to Stellar Repair for Excel.

How to repair corrupt Excel file

Stellar Repair for Excel is an excellent tool to repair corrupt or damaged MS Excel files. Mentioned below are the steps to perform Excel repair with this tool:

  • Download & Run the Stellar Repair for Excel.

free download

  • A dialog box appears on your screen, click ‘OK’ to proceed.

Stellar Repair for Excel - Main Interface

  • To select your corrupt .XLS or .XLSX file, click ‘Browse’ button. However, if you do not know the location of your .XLS or .XLSX file, the software provides you the option ‘Search’ to search for your corrupt Excel files.

Select excel file

  • Select the checkboxes against the files that you want to repair and click ‘Repair’. This starts the scanning process.

repair process

  • The list of all the files that the software has scanned is displayed in the tree-view in the left pane. Click on a file from this tree-view to see its preview in the middle pane. From this list, you can select the file that you want to recover.

Preview

  • You can either select the ‘Default location of file’ or ‘Select New Folder’ in the ‘Save Document’ dialog box to save the repaired files.

Save file

Stellar Repair for Excel Stellar Repair for Excel is the best choice for repairing corrupt or damaged Excel (.XLS/.XLSX) files. This Excel recovery software restores everything from corrupt file to a new blank Excel file.

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How to fix “damage to the file was so extensive that repairs were not possible” Excel error?

Summary: Unable to resolve “damage to the file was so extensive that repair was not possible” error in Excel? Read this post to discover more details about the error, possible causes, and how to rectify the error. To save time & efforts, you can also try an Excel file repair software to resolve the “damage to the file…” error in a few clicks.

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When opening a workbook in Microsoft Excel 2003 or later, you may encounter an error message,

“Damage to the file was so extensive that repairs were not possible. Excel attempted to recover your formulas and values, but some data may have been lost or corrupted.”

The error message may also occur while exporting an Excel file. Let’s find out what causes this error and what we can do to fix it.

Reasons Behind “Damage to the File Was So Extensive That Repairs Were Not Possible” Error

Your Excel file may be corrupt, oversized, virus-afflicted, etc., which can trigger this error and make the repair impossible. Below are some common reasons.

  • Large or oversized excel files hindering export
  • Data restore errors
  • Field length of a cell is more than 256 characters
  • Software conflicts, viruses, network failure
  • Unable to open files in upgraded versions
  • Errors on output exceeding 64000 rows
  • Limited system resources (such as RAM, internal memory)

In a nutshell, the error generally happens if Excel discovers unreadable content, which may also interrupt file saving in Excel.

How to Resolve “Damage to the File Was So Extensive That Repairs Were Not Possible” Error?

Here are a few methods you can follow to fix or resolve the Excel repair error.  

Method 1: Perform Basic Troubleshooting

When opening a corrupt workbook, Microsoft Excel automatically initiates the file recovery mode to repair the corrupt file. However, if it fails to perform automatic recovery, then follow these basic troubleshooting steps:

  • This error mainly happens when you try to open the Excel file in an upgraded version.  Try to open the file in an older version of Excel. You might be able to open it.
  • Try saving the file with a different file name.
  • Use a different file extension to save the file.
  • You can save the Excel file as HTML and then open it. However, an HTML file might not save conditional formatting.
  • Close other opened applications on the system which may be causing the error.
  • Select less data for export at once.
  • Delete worksheets if copied from another document; for instance, delete any file or screenshots you have imported.
  • Open the file on another system.

If the error persists, then use the manual method to repair a workbook using the below steps:

  • Go to the “File” tab.

Go the File Tab in Excel

  • Select Open and select the damaged spreadsheet from the Recent Workbooks section on the right, if listed. However, if you cannot find the file in the Recent Workbooks section, click on “Browse” and choose the corrupted workbook.

Click on Open and browse the corrupted workbook

  • Click the drop-down arrow on the Open tab and select Open and Repair.

after selecting the corrupt excel, click on the drop-down next to Open and click on Open and Repair

Method 2: Check if exporting a Heavy File is Causing Resource Limitations in Excel

Sometimes, when you try to export an Excel sheet carrying a huge database, you may face memory errors in older Excel versions like Excel 2003. Here, you’ll have to decrease the amount of data as Excel 2003 does not permit exporting extensive data beyond a limit. However, modern versions such as Excel 2007, 2010 & 2016 allow exporting a large amount of data and utilize more RAM than the older versions.

Following are some other workarounds:

  • Use a lesser number of query presentation fields to re-generate the query. Then, again re-enter those fields.
  • Decrease the multi-line string field data text up to 8000 characters.

Method 3: Copy Macros and Data to Another Workbook (Empty) in an Advanced Excel version

If the issue is occurring due to version incompatibility, i.e., if the file opens easily in the older version but shows errors in the new version. You can:

Use the older version to open the file or copy the data or macros in an empty workbook of the new version of Excel.  

Copying the Macros in the Workstation

In Microsoft Excel, you can use the Visual Basic Editor to open the workbook with macro on another workbook by copying the macro. Both VBA tools and Macros appear in the Developer section of the excel file. This option is disabled by default. So first, you need to enable it.

Follow the instructions to enable it:

  • Open Excel and go to File > Options.

In the file menu, go to Options

  • Click “**Customize Ribbon.**”

In Excel options, click on Customize Ribbon

  • Look at the right side of the pane and ensure the Developer tab is checked.

At the right side, make sure that the "Developer" box is checked

  • Click OK.

Once you have enabled the Developer tab, follow the steps to copy the macro from one workbook to another:

  • First, open both the workbooks- the workbook containing the macro and the workbook in which you need to copy the macros.
  • Locate the Developer tab.

Developer tab in Ribbon

  • Select Visual Basic to display the “Visual Basic Editor.”

  

Click on Visual Basic in the Developer Tab

  • Go to the View menu in the Visual Basic Editor.

Go to the View menu in the Visual Basic Editor

  • Select Project Explorer.

Click on Project Explorer from the View Menu

  • In the Project Explorer window, drag the module you need to copy to the destination workbook. For example:

In project explorer, Drag the module you need to copy to the destination workbook

Module 1 has been copied from Book2.xlsm to Book1.xlsm

Method 4- Restore the backup file

The workbook backup helps to open the corrupted or mistakenly deleted file. Sometimes, the issue can be fixed using the Recover Unsaved Workbook option in Excel. Here’s the list of steps to recover the files in Microsoft Excel:

  • Go to the File tab on Excel.

Go to the File Menu

  • Click Open.

Click on Open

  • Search on the top-left of the screen to click Recent Workbooks as below:

Click on Recent

  • Next, scroll down to the bottom.
  • Click the “Recover unsaved workbooks” button.

At the bottom, click on Recover unsaved workbooks

  • Scroll and find the lost file.
  • Now double-click on the file to open.

Stellar Repair for Excel

Conclusion

Damage to the file was so extensive that repairs were not possible” error can be fixed with the above troubleshooting methods or by using a third-party Excel repair tool, like Stellar Repair for Excel . Although There are no standard resolutions to fix the excel error as they may vary with different scenarios. In some cases, the manual methods might be time-consuming or fail to fix the error or recover the excel file. Hence, using an excel file repair tool may be the best option! It extracts data from the corrupted file and saves it to a new Excel workbook, which you can open and edit.

Filter Not Working Error in Excel [Fix 2024]

Summary: The filter is not working issue in Excel can occur due to several reasons, like blank rows, hidden rows, merged cells, corrupted data, etc. In this post, we will mention the reasons why the filter is not working correctly in Excel and several fixes to resolve the issue. We will also mention an advanced Excel repair tool to repair the Excel file if corruption in file is the cause of the issue.

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You can use the Filter function in Excel to filter data in large-sized Excel files quickly. While using Excel filters, sometimes, you face a situation where the filter is disabled or may fail to function properly.

Filter Option Disabled

The Excel filter usually fails to work if you have not selected the complete and correct range of data. Let’s learn more about the “Sort and Filter not working in Excel” issue and look at the possible methods to fix it.

Why the Filter is not Working in Excel?

You can face the “filter is not working” issue if you are applying the filter on a protected worksheet or trying to find the data from a hidden row. Besides this, there could be many other reasons contributing to this issue, such as:

  • The data you are trying to filter is in merged cells.
  • The Excel file automatically selected the data up to the first empty cell, excluding the remaining rows.
  • Grouped sheets in Excel file.
  • Blank row in the Excel sheet.
  • You are trying to apply a filter on an invalid data range.
  • The workbooks in which you’re facing the filter issues are corrupted.
  • You are specifying incorrect criteria in the filter columns.

Solutions to Resolve the Filter is not Working Issue in Excel

There might be two scenarios: the Excel filter option is disabled/grayed out or the filters fail to function properly. You can follow the given troubleshooting solutions to resolve the issue based on the scenario you’re facing.

Scenario 1 – Filter Option is Disabled or Grayed Out

Method 1: Check and Un-group the Worksheet

When you apply filters to a single sheet in a grouped set, Excel disables the filter option in other sheets within the group. You can check the grouped sheets and try ungrouping them to enable the filter option. Here’s how to do so:

  • In the Excel file, go to the Group section.

Excel file navigation: Accessing the Group section

  • Right-click on the Ungroup Sheets.

Alternatively, you can press the Shift + Alt + Left keys to ungroup the sheets.

Method 2: Unprotect Worksheet

The “disabled Excel filter” issue can also occur if your worksheet is protected. You can unprotect the worksheet to enable the filter option. To do so, go to the Review tab and then select Unprotect Sheet.

Excel file: Navigating to Group section, resolving 'disabled Excel filter' issue with worksheet protection, unprotecting sheet from Review tab for filter activation.

Method 3: Check and Uninstall Excel Add-ins

Sometimes, the Excel filter gets disabled due to faulty or corrupted Excel add-ins. You can run the Excel in Safe mode to check whether the issue has occurred due to add-ins. To do this, type excel /safe in the Run window and click OK.

Troubleshooting disabled Excel filter caused by add-ins: Running Excel in Safe mode with 'excel /safe' in Run window

In safe mode, if you see the filter option, it indicates some problematic Excel add-ins were causing the issue. In such a case, you can check and uninstall the faulty Excel add-ins to fix the issue.

Scenario 2 – Filter is not Working

Method 1: Try Clearing Filters

Sometimes, the Excel filter fails to work correctly if some filters from the previous sessions are still active. In such a case, you can clear the applied filters. Follow the below steps:

  • In Excel file, click Sort & Filter option.
  • Select clear.

Excel: Clicking 'Sort & Filter' and selecting 'Clear' option.

Method 2: Select Entire Data

The filter not working issue in Excel can occur when the range selected for filtering is incomplete or incorrect. You need to make sure that you’ve selected the entire data range in Excel. You can use the Ctrl+A keys to select the entire content in the worksheet.

Method 3: Check and Delete Blank Cells from the Table’s Columns

When you apply a filter to the data, Excel expects data to be in a continuous range. Excel filters do not consider the blank cells, thereby resulting in incorrect functioning of the filter. To resolve this issue, check and delete all blank cells. In case your Excel file is too large to delete the blank cells, then you can add a “Serial number” row as an alternative. Adding serial number row creates a data continuity, thus helping in fixing the filter-related issue.

Method 4: Unhide Hidden Rows and Columns

Hidden rows or columns in worksheets can also affect the filter functionality. You can check and unhide rows/columns to troubleshoot the issue. Here is how to do so:

  • In the affected Excel file, go to Home.
  • Click on Format > Hide & Unhide.

Excel file: Navigating to Home, accessing Format > Hide & Unhide.

  • Click Unhide Rows or Unhide Columns (as required).

Selective unhiding in Excel: 'Unhide Rows' or 'Unhide Columns' as needed.

Method 5: Unmerge Cells

You can experience the filter in Excel is not working issue if you are using the filter to extract data from merged cells. Ensure to unmerge the “merged cells” before applying a filter in Excel. Follow the below steps to unmerge the merged cells in Excel:

  • Navigate to the Home option.
  • In the toolbar, select the Merge & Center option.
  • Click Unmerge Cells.

Method 6: Repair the Workbook

Sometimes, the Filter Not Working in Excel issue can occur due to inconsistencies in file structure. If these issues occurred due to corruption in the worksheet, you can repair it using the Open and Repair tool. It is an in-built tool in Excel that is used to repair corrupted Excel files. Here are the steps to use this tool:

  • In the Excel application, navigate to the File option.
  • Click Open and then click Browse to choose the Excel file.
  • In the Open dialog box, click the problematic Excel file.
  • Click the arrow next to the Open option and select Open and Repair.
  • Click Repair to recover as much data as possible.
  • The application prompts a message after the repair process is complete. Click Close.

In most cases, the Open and Repair tool can easily fix corruption issues in the Excel file. However, for any reason, if the open and repair tool doesn’t work you can consider repairing the file using a professional Excel Repair tool. Stellar Repair for Excel is one such advanced and secure tool to repair Excel files. With this tool’s powerful scanning capabilities, you can repair highly corrupted Excel files and recover all their objects with complete integrity. The tool is compatible with all Windows editions, including the latest Windows 11.

Closure

Several reasons are associated with the filter not working issue in Excel. The filter option may not work as expected if you have not selected the complete and correct range of data or for many other reasons. You can follow the troubleshooting methods discussed above to fix the issue. If the filter fails to work due to corruption in the workbook, then try Stellar Repair for Excel . It is an advanced tool that can even repair severely damaged files. It also helps to recover all the data from corrupted files without changing the original formatting. You can check the tool’s functionality by downloading its demo version. It allows you to preview all the repairable objects in the corrupted Excel file.

How to fix Microsoft Excel has stopped working error?

Summary: This blog discusses the possible reasons behind ‘Microsoft Excel has stopped working’ error and solutions to resolve the error manually. You can use Stellar Repair for Excel to quickly repair the file and recover all its data in a hassle-free manner.

Free Download for Windows

Has your Microsoft Excel program stopped working or is acting strange? Excel not responding is a common issue you may experience on launching the application or opening a spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel has stopped working

Figure 1 – Microsoft Excel Has Stopped Working Error Message

Possible Causes behind ‘Microsoft Excel has Stopped Working’ Error, and Solutions Thereof

Note: Several users have reported about encountering the ‘Excel has stopped working’ issue on Windows 10, 8, and 7 OS after installing an update for Excel (KB3118373). If you too have installed the update, then uninstall it and check if it solves the error. For detailed information, refer to this link .


  • Title: Fixed Freeze Panes not Working in Excel 2023 | Stellar
  • Author: Nova
  • Created at : 2024-07-17 17:16:42
  • Updated at : 2024-07-18 17:16:42
  • Link: https://phone-solutions.techidaily.com/fixed-freeze-panes-not-working-in-excel-2023-stellar-by-stellar-guide/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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Fixed Freeze Panes not Working in Excel 2023 | Stellar