Question: When working with large spreadsheets, it gets a bit frustrating when you go to read the data in a distant row or column and the headings at the top of the page or down the side of the sheet disappear. Given that I have a huge list of data to analyze in excel, is there a way of freezing the headings so that when scrolling down through the data, the headings are always visible?
Answer: Yes, With Freeze Panes Option
Why: In order to effectively analyze a huge list of data by locking specific columns and row headings.
Applies To: Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000
1. Create the spreadsheet ,usually a huge list so that when you scroll down the headings won’t be visible
2. Assuming the headings are in row number 3 and the data list commences in column A
3. To lock both rows and columns, click the cell below and to the right of the rows and columns that you want to keep visible when you scroll(Cell B4)
4. Select freeze panes under the View tab in the Windows group(Excel 2007& 2010)as given below
5. For Excel 2003, XP & 2000 select the windows menu and click freeze panes. Refer to the screen shot below.
The headings are going to be locked hence you can effectively see under which heading the data falls in .To unlock refer to the screen shots above and select unfreeze panes. Freeze panes allow you to lock specific rows and columns so that they will always be visible on screen no matter how far you scroll to the right or down.
