[Fixed!] Excel Rows to Repeat at Top Feature Greyed Out

While printing in Excel, we often use the Rows to Repeat at Top feature of Excel to print the headers on every page. but In some cases, you may get that the feature is greyed out means it’s not working. If you don’t know the reasons then you may get tense but the good news is, it happens because of some silly mistakes. Today I’ll show those reasons and solutions in this article with easy steps and clear illustrations. I hope, after finishing this article you will get rid of all the issues regarding the problem.

Excel Rows to Repeat at Top Feature Is Greyed Out: 4 Fixes

First of all, get introduced to our dataset that we’ll use to explore the reasons and solutions. It represents some salespersons’ sales in different regions.

Fix 1: Apply Page Setup from Page Layout Ribbon

The most common reason is- if we try to use the rows to repeat at top feature from the print preview window that we open by clicking on the Print option of the File tab then it won’t work. Because by default Excel doesn’t allow to use of the command from print preview. Have a look at the image below, I opened the Page Setup dialog box from the print preview window that’s why the Rows to Repeat at Top feature grayed out. There’s no way to use this command form here. So, we’ll have to follow the alternate option must.

Solution:

The solution is quite simple, just open the Page Setup dialog box from the Page Layout ribbon and then use the Rows to Repeat at Top feature and it will work.

• First, click as follows: Page Layout > Print Titles.

• Now see, the feature is working and I selected the title row.

Fix 2: Unselect Multiple Sheets Before Page Setup

Let’s see another common issue if we select multiple sheets before opening the Page Setup dialog box then the Rows to Repeat at Top feature won’t work whether you use it from the Page Layout ribbon or the Print Preview window. Take a look, I clicked on the Rows to Repeat at Top feature but it won’t work although I opened it from the Page Layout ribbon.

• Because here I selected two sheets before using the feature.

Solution:

• Select only one sheet and then apply the Rows to Repeat at Top feature and it will work perfectly.

Now you see, it is working properly.

Fix 3: Escape from Editing a Cell Before Page Setup

There’s another silly issue, but for that many problems occur in Excel. When we are editing a cell and applying other commands keeping the cell editing then many commands don’t work. For the same reason, you won’t be able to use the Rows to Repeat at Top feature because it’s not possible to open the Page Setup dialog box then, all the options of the Page Layout ribbon will be grayed out. Have a look, I clicked on the Page Layout ribbon but no option is available.

Because I was editing Cell D5 and keeping it in editing mode, I clicked on the Page Layout ribbon. That’s why no option is working.

Solution:

• Press the ESC key from your keyboard to escape from the editing mode of a cell.

Soon after you will see that every option of the Page Layout ribbon is available.

And so then you will be able to apply the Rows to Repeat at Top feature.

Read More: How to Repeat Rows in Excel Based on Cell Value

Fix 4: Close Other Workbooks with Print Preview

Another workbook opening with a Print Preview window prevents Row to repeat at top field functioning which leads to the greyed-out problem for the current workbook. So while you are working with multiple workbooks, be careful about this.

Solution:
Have a look, there is another workbook running in the background.

• As you can observe in the image below, the file is opening in the Print Preview window which prevents functioning Rows to repeat at top field in the current workbook. Thus, we must close the window.

• After closing the window, the Rows to repeat at top field act perfectly for the current workbook.

Read More: How to Repeat Multiple Rows in Excel

Download Practice Workbook

You can download the free Excel workbook from here and practice on your own.

Conclusion

That’s all for the article. I hope the procedures described above will be good enough to solve the problem if Excel rows to repeat at the top feature are grayed out. Feel free to ask any question in the comment section and please give me feedback.

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• How to Repeat Formula in Excel for Whole Column

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