How to Restore Missing Scroll Bars in Microsoft Excel?

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In This Guide

TRY IT NOW: A Few Quick and Easy Ways to Fix the Missing Scroll Bars in Microsoft Excel

Solution 1. Set the Tiles in Order

Solution 2. Fix the Scroll Bar that is Minimized

Solution 3. Upgrade your Microsoft Office Program

Solution 4. Look for Updates in the System

Adv. Solution 5. Fix/Repair Microsoft Office

Adv. Solution 6. Try using Excel Safe Mode

Adv. Solution 7. Verify the Excel Settings

Adv. Solution 8. Scale the Excel Window

Final Words

Fix Excel now

Software programs, particularly Microsoft Office programs like Excel, significantly depend on scroll bars as necessary elements. These bars allow users to scroll vertically or horizontally within a window to easily browse through large amounts of data or material.

Scroll bars are very important in Excel because they allow you to quickly navigate between rows and columns, which makes it easier to examine and manage huge spreadsheets.

Understanding the root causes of the missing scroll bar issue is important.
Using outdated versions of Microsoft Office can cause a number of common reasons for this, including: accidentally disabling the scroll bar settings within Excel due to changes in Excel options; minimized scroll bars resulting from window size adjustments or specific Excel configurations; problems arising from corrupt installation files or add-ins disrupting Excel’s normal operations and causing UI elements like the scroll bar to disappear.

Above mentioned issues can also cause other Excel errors like ‘Runtime 1004’ or Excel being unable to paste data.

Easy Solutions to Fix the Missing Scroll Bars in Microsoft Excel

It can be more efficient to start with easier fixes when trying to fix Microsoft Excel’s missing scroll bar. Before moving on to more complex troubleshooting, try these simple techniques.

Solution 1. Set the Tiles in Order

Excel windows that are open can be rearranged to reveal hidden scroll bars and return to regular navigation.

• Select the Excel “View” tab.
• Select “Arrange all” by clicking.
• Choose “Tiled” and press “Ok” to commit your changes.

Solution 2. Fix the Scroll Bar that is Minimized

A minimized scroll bar can be made visible and functional again by adjusting it. 

• Launch any Excel file.
• Examine the app window’s lower-right corner. Three vertical dots ought to be visible there.
• To move them to the left, click on them and drag.

• Now, the horizontal scroll bar ought to be apparent.

Solution 3. Upgrade your Microsoft Office Program 

Microsoft Office Update resolves compatibility problems and flaws in Excel that could lead to the disappearance of the scroll bars. 

• Launch “Microsoft Excel”, then select “File”.
• Choose “Account”.
• Find “Update Options” under “Product Information” and click on it.
• Choose “Update Now” from the list that drops down. After that, the software will install any updates that are available.

Solution 4. Look for Updates in the System

Make sure Excel is compatible with your operating system, avoiding problems brought on by out-of-date system files. 

• In ‘Windows search’, type “check for updates” and press ‘Enter’.

• Click “Install updates” if there are any accessible updates.

• Click “Check for updates” if not.

• Install any optional updates that are available.
• Restart your computer when all update processes have finished.

Advanced Ways on How to Fix the
Missing Scroll Bars in MS Excel

If you’ve tried easy fixes and your Microsoft Excel scroll bar is still missing, you can try more complex troubleshooting techniques. These approaches probe more into the problem and work well to address fundamental problems that are missed by quick remedies.

Adv. Solution 5. Fix/Repair Microsoft Office

This deals with Office’s damaged files, which can replace missing user interface components like the scroll bar.

• In ‘Windows Search’, type “Control Panel” and hit ‘Enter’.
• Choose “Programs” > “Features and Programs”.
• Click “Change” after selecting “Microsoft Office”.

• Click “Repair” after selecting the “Online Repair” option.

• Follow the instructions to finish the process.

Adv. Solution 6. Try using Excel Safe Mode

By using Excel’s default settings, one can determine whether add-ins or custom settings are the source of the scroll bar problem.

• Clicking ‘Win + R’ will bring up the “Run” dialog.
• To launch Excel in Safe Mode, type “excel /safe” and hit ‘Enter’.

• Verify whether you can see the scroll bars. If they are, exit “Excel” and reopen it to check if the problem has been fixed.

Adv. Solution 7. Verify the Excel Settings

Verify that the scroll bars are enabled in Excel’s settings. If they were accidentally turned off, this can fix the problem. 

• Launch “Excel”.
• On the left, choose “File”, and then choose “Options”.
• Navigate to the “Advanced” tab in the Excel Options box.
• To access the Display options for this workbook area, scroll down.
• Verify that the boxes for “Show vertical” and “Show horizontal scroll bars” are checked.
• To save the modifications, click “OK”. Your scroll bar should now be visible.

Adv. Solution 8. Scale the Excel Window

If incorrect window dimensions cause the scroll bar to disappear, you can make it visible again by adjusting the window size.

• To change the view, click and drag the file’s name bar at the top of the “Excel” window.
• Drag it till you can see both edges of the Excel window.
• Next to the ‘Close’ button, select the “Maximize” button. You can also right click on the ‘title bar’ and select “Maximize”.

• Verify now that the spreadsheet has the scrollbar shown. 

Final Words

As you can see it is certainly possible to fix a missing scroll bar in Microsoft Excel if you follow the right steps. For easy fixes, start by setting up tiles and updating software. Try advanced techniques like utilizing Safe Mode or fixing Office if they don’t work.

And if all the provided steps fail or you just want to save time — download and run the software mentioned below and in the beginning of this guide. Good luck!