Excel 2010 Just the Steps For Dummies
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The Freeze Panes command in Excel 2010 lets you freeze portions of a worksheet, typically column and row headings, so that you can view distant parts of the worksheet while the headings remain in place. Freezing panes only affects the current worksheet. If you want to freeze other worksheets, you must select them individually and freeze them.

Follow these steps to freeze panes in a worksheet:

  1. Position the cell cursor based on what you want to freeze:

    • Columns: Select the column to the right of the columns you want to freeze. For example, click any cell in column B to freeze column A.

    • Rows: Select the row below the rows you want to freeze. For example, click any cell in row 4 to freeze rows 1, 2, and 3.

    • Columns and rows: Click the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to freeze — essentially, the first cell that isn't frozen. For example, click cell B2 to freeze both column A and row 1.

      Cells above and to the left of the current cell will be frozen.
      Cells above and to the left of the current cell will be frozen.
  2. In the Window group of the View tab, choose Freeze Panes→Freeze Panes.

    A thin black line separates the sections. As you scroll down and to the right, notice that the columns above and rows to the left of the cell cursor remain fixed.

    Keep titles visible by freezing the panes.
    Keep titles visible by freezing the panes.

    Normally when you press Ctrl+Home, Excel takes you to cell A1. However, when Freeze Panes is active, pressing Ctrl+Home takes you to the cell just below and to the right of the column headings. You can still use your arrow keys or click your mouse to access frozen cells.

  3. In the Window group of the View tab, choose Freeze Panes→Unfreeze Panes to unlock the fixed rows and columns.

You can click the Freeze Top Row or Freeze First Column command in the Freeze Panes drop-down menu to freeze just the top row or first column in the worksheet, without regard to the position of the cell cursor in the worksheet.

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Diane Koers owns and operates All Business Service, a software training and consulting business formed in 1988, that services the central Indiana area. Her area of expertise has long been in the word-processing, spreadsheet, and graphics areas of computing. She also provides training and support for Peachtree Accounting Software. Diane's authoring experience includes over 40 books on topics, such as PC security, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect, Paint Shop Pro, Lotus SmartSuite, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and Peachtree Accounting. Many of these titles have been translated into other languages, such as French, Dutch, Bulgarian, Spanish, and Greek. She has also developed and written numerous training manuals for her clients.
Diane and her husband enjoy spending their free time fishing, traveling, and playing with their four grandsons and their Yorkshire Terrier.

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