Can’t Scroll in Microsoft Excel for Windows? Try These Fixes

When you work on large Excel spreadsheets, it is often necessary to scroll both horizontally and vertically in order to access and modify data. But what if you can’t scroll in Microsoft Excel with your mouse or keyboard on Windows?

Scrolling issues in Microsoft Excel can not only disrupt your workflow but also leave you feeling annoyed. Here, we share some quick and easy tips that will help you get back to scrolling spreadsheets in Excel once again.

4

1. Turn Off Scroll Lock

A common reason why you may be unable to scroll in Microsoft Excel is if you have inadvertently enabled the Scroll Lock feature. To turn it off, right-click on the status bar at the bottom and click theScroll Lockoption to uncheck it.

you may also disable Scroll Lock on Windows using your keyboard. TheScroll Lock(orScrLk) key is typically located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Pressing this key will deactivate Scroll Lock and allow you to scroll through your Excel spreadsheet again.

A woman using Excel on a Windows laptop

If it’s possible to’t find the Scroll Lock key on your physical keyboard,use the on-screen keyboard on Windowsto disable Scroll Lock. For that, pressWin + Sto access the search menu, typeoskin the search box, and hitEnter. Then, click theScrLkkey to disable Scroll Lock.

2. Unfreeze Panes

Microsoft Excel allows you to freeze specific parts of the sheet so that they remain visible even as you scroll through the sheet. This might create the false impression that your Excel sheet isn’t scrolling correctly. To avoid any confusion, you’re able to unfreeze panes in your worksheet by following the steps below.

Following this, your Excel spreadsheet should scroll as expected.

Turn Off Scroll Lock in Excel-1

3. Disable the Zoom on Roll With IntelliMouse Option

Is your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet zooming in or out when you attempt to scroll through it? That could happen if you have enabled the “Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse” option in Excel. Here’s how to turn it off.

4. Enable Scroll Bars

You may have trouble scrolling through your spreadsheets if Excel does not display the horizontal and vertical scroll bars on your PC. Here’s how you can enable them.

5. AutoFit Row Height in Excel

Several Excel users reported fixing the scrolling issue by formatting all the cells in the sheet with the AutoFit Row Height feature. You can also give this method a shot.

6. Update Microsoft Excel

By default, Microsoft Office tends to install newer updates automatically on your Windows computer. However, if you have previouslydisabled automatic Office updates on Windows, you may be running an outdated version of Excel. This can result in all kinds of issues, including the one discussed here. Hence, it’s a good idea to update Microsoft Excel on your PC.

Wait for Microsoft Office to update Excel as well as other Office apps and check if that fixes the problem.

Windows Print Screen Key

7. Run the Office Repair Tool

Microsoft offers a useful repair tool for resolving common issues with Office apps like Excel. So, if the above fixes prove ineffective, you’re able to try fixing the scrolling issue in Excel by running the Office repair tool. Here’s how.

Allow the repair tool to fix any issues with the Office apps. If the problem persists, Microsoft recommends that you repeat the above steps and conduct anOnline Repairinstead. This will allow the tool to perform a more comprehensive repair. It’s important to note that this process requires your PC to have an active internet connection.

Screenshot of On Screen Keyboard with Scroll Lock key highlighted

8. Apply Some Generic Fixes

If the above fixes don’t help, you can try some generic fixes and see if that solves the problem.

Fixing Scrolling Issues in Microsoft Excel

Being unable to scroll through your Excel spreadsheets can be a major inconvenience. Hopefully, one or more of the above solutions has helped you resolve the scrolling issues in Excel for Windows, and you are now able to navigate your spreadsheet smoothly again.

Now that Excel is working again, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with some useful Windows keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Excel to enhance your workflow.

Quicken your spreadsheet creation with these handy Windows keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Excel.

When your rival has to bail out your assistant.

One casual AI chat exposed how vulnerable I was.

Some subscriptions are worth the recurring cost, but not these ones.

It saves me hours and keeps my sanity intact.

It’s not super flashy, but it can help to keep your computer up and running.

Technology Explained

PC & Mobile