How to Split Panes in XLS (Excel)

If you have a long page of data in Microsoft Excel, you can split the XLS file into two sections to make it simpler to navigate and find data using split panes. Split panes is a simple and easy to use feature that allows you to navigate up to four windows of your file at a time.

1. Load Microsoft Excel and open your XLS file. If you have more than one workbook in the file, choose the workbook that you want to view and analyze by clicking the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

2. Move your mouse to the far right of the Excel worksheet. You'll see a thin button with a line through the middle above the top scroll bar arrow. Hover your mouse over that line-two arrows pointing up and down appear. This is the button that allows you to establish and manipulate the split panes.

3. Right-click the button and hold it down with your mouse. Drag the button down the sheet . A line appears across the sheet indicating that you're splitting the file view in half. Adjust the line to your liking and then release your mouse when you're finished splitting the worksheet.

4. View the new top and bottom pane of your Microsoft Excel file. You now have two separate scroll bars allowing you to locate and analyze the different lines of your worksheet.

5. Click the similar button located at the far right end of the bottom scroll bar of your worksheet if you want to split the XLS file vertically. Again, click and hold the button then drag it to the left to split the file. You can split the file both horizontally and vertically if you wish to create four separate sections of your XLS file.

6. Click and hold the line separating the panes when you're ready to remove them. Drag them back to their original location at the far right of the sheet.