Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Excel Worksheet Tabs Missing and Greyed Out Rows

Bushra Parveen Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to restore missing worksheet tabs at the bottom of the screen and resolve an issue where Excel rows appear greyed out, typically caused by a recent update or installation damage.

Fix Excel Worksheet Tabs Missing and Greyed Out Rows

Product: Microsoft Excel / Office 365
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Opening an existing workbook or starting a new project in Excel after an application update.
Observed behavior: The worksheet tabs normally visible at the bottom of the window are completely missing, and rows in the spreadsheet appear greyed out, hindering navigation and data entry.

Before you start

Before modifying your Office installation, restart your Windows computer to rule out temporary system display glitches, and test multiple workbooks to confirm if the issue is application-wide.

Solution 1Recommended

Run a Microsoft Office Repair

Repairing the Office installation is the most effective way to fix corrupted files and missing UI elements like sheet tabs.

A damaged Office installation can cause unexpected display behaviors, including missing elements and greyed-out rows. Running the built-in repair tool can quickly resolve these structural application issues without deleting your personal files.

Open Windows Settings

Click the Start menu and select 'Settings', then navigate to 'Apps' > 'Installed apps' (or 'Apps & features').

Locate Microsoft Office

Scroll down the list of installed applications until you find 'Microsoft Office' or 'Microsoft 365'.

Initiate the Repair

Click the three dots (or right-click) next to the Office application, select 'Modify', and choose 'Quick Repair'. If the Quick Repair fails to restore your tabs, repeat the process and select 'Online Repair'.

Data Safety: Running an Office repair does not delete or alter your saved Excel workbooks.

Solution 2

Open Excel in Safe Mode

Use Safe Mode to determine if third-party add-ins or customized startup settings are hiding your worksheet tabs.

Solution 3

Reinstall or Roll Back the Office Update

If the issue started immediately following a recent Office update, reinstalling the software from your account can establish a clean setup.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Avoid Update Glitches with WPS Office

If Microsoft Office updates frequently disrupt your workflow with missing tabs or greyed-out rows, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free, and stable alternative that handles complex spreadsheets flawlessly without heavy update issues.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package.
2. Install the Software: Run the installer. The lightweight setup takes only a few minutes to complete.
3. Open Your Spreadsheets: Double-click your existing Excel files to open them seamlessly in WPS Spreadsheet, with all formatting and tabs perfectly intact.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv)Stable tabbed interface that keeps all your sheets organized and visibleLightweight application that uses fewer system resourcesFree to download with a highly intuitive user interface

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I manually unhide missing worksheet tabs in Excel settings?

Yes. Sometimes tabs are hidden due to settings rather than corruption. Go to File > Options > Advanced. Scroll down to the 'Display options for this workbook' section and ensure the box for 'Show sheet tabs' is checked.

Why are my Excel rows completely greyed out?

Rows can appear greyed out due to broken display scaling, a corrupted graphics driver, or a bugged Office update. It can also happen if Page Break Preview is enabled incorrectly. You can check your view settings under the View tab by selecting 'Normal'.

Will I lose my spreadsheets if I reinstall Office 365?

No. Uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Office only removes the application files. All your personal Excel documents, whether saved locally on your hard drive or in OneDrive, will remain completely untouched.

How do I roll back a problematic Office update?

Rolling back requires using the Office Deployment Tool or specific command-line prompts. You need to disable automatic updates in Excel (File > Account > Update Options), open Command Prompt as administrator, and run the 'officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=' command with your target build number.

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