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Freezing Panes in Excel

Most spreadsheets are longer or wider than the visible screen area. Your headings are usually in the first column and the first row. It can be difficult to edit or analyze your data when your headings have scrolled off the screen. For example, when you scroll to view column N, the headings in column A are no longer visible. Or when you scroll to view row 50, the headings in rows 1 and 2 are no longer visible. Excel has an incredibly useful and easy-to-use feature to help users.

This feature is called Freeze Panes. It allows you to mark rows or columns so that they never scroll off the page. This is an ideal way to keep your headings visible at all times.

• To freeze a row or rows, place the highlight (the heavy black box) in column A on the cell below the row or rows you want to freeze. Then click on Freeze Panes in the Window Menu.
• To freeze a column or columns, place the highlight in Row 1 of the column to the right of the column or columns you want to freeze. Then click on Freeze Panes in the Window Menu.
• To freeze both rows and columns at the same time place the highlight on the cell that is below the row and to right of the column that you want to freeze.

Once the panes are frozen, you may see a line that marks the frozen panes. Scroll to a distant location on your spreadsheet and notice that the marked rows and columns remain frozen in place.

To remove the panes, go to the Windows menu and choose Unfreeze Panes.

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