How to enable Insert Row option in MS Excel?

44

If you are trying to insert a row in Excel worksheet and the Insert option is disabled, then below solution can help you.

InsertRow

You would have encountered this problem due to the Excel settings being modified by a third party Excel Application or a malicious script.

Follow below steps to enable the Insert option to Insert Rows in Excel.

1. Open Excel
2. Press [ALT]+F11 or Go to Developer>Visual Basic menu option to open Visual Basic Editor.
3. Press [CTRL]+G to open Immediate Window.
4. Type below code in this Immediate Window

Application.CommandBars("Row").Controls("Insert").Enabled = True

5. Press [ENTER] key
6. Close the Visual Basic Editor window and go back to Excel.

You should see the Insert option enabled now.

Interesting Note:
I faced this issue while filing my income tax returns last time.
This option is disabled in MS Excel due to a bug in the Indian Income Tax Department’s Excel macro.

44 Comments


  1. WOW!!! Worked wonder for me..
    I tried for the standard solutions given in other websites, nothing could solve the problem..
    The above solution has just worked fine.. Greatly surprised and happy to see that the “Insert” option getting enabled after performing the above operation..

    Thanks a lot, You saved my time !!!

    Reply

    1. Thanks I have also used for the above.

      G Bikshapathi

      Reply

  2. Tried above procedure.
    At Step 5, Run-time error 9 is observed

    Subscript out of range

    I am using Excel 2010 on Window 10.

    Regards,
    Shakeel

    Reply

    1. You need to type the code (given in step 4) as it is.

      i.e. Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True

      not like

      Application.CommandBars(2).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True

      Reply

      1. Run-time error 9

        Subscript out of range

        I have typed as it is in step 4

        Reply

    2. Thanks for spending time on the computer (wigirnt) so others don’t have to.

      Reply

  3. Activated insert row with
    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True

    but on typing
    Application.CommandBars(“Column”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True
    did not activated column insert.
    Getting run time error “9” and script out of range
    How to activate insert Column insert?

    Reply

  4. Worked great for me… Thank you.

    Even I got a message “Subscript out of range”. Updated the statement which is copied from the original post to fix the double quotes as below.

    Used
    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True

    instead of
    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True

    Reply

  5. I did same thing as you said

    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True
    but still gets same error

    (Run-time error 9 is observed

    Subscript out of range)

    Reply

    1. I’m not quite sure how to say this; you made it exelemtry easy for me!

      Reply

  6. Big relief for me.. it is working fine….thanks for it

    Reply

  7. Thanx a ton,it works……..

    Reply

  8. It worked , Thanks for useful help

    Reply

  9. Can’t believe it. After trying out number of failed solutions from other blogs this worked like charm. Although this is considered to be a expert job but your steps make it easy for a novice like me.

    Kudos!!

    Reply

  10. Thanks……..this worked for me

    Reply

  11. Awesome! Worked for me too… I have used it for MS Excel 2007 on Windows 10. Thanks a lot.

    Reply

  12. this actually was disabled by a program developed by the indian income tax dept. excel tax return preparation application.
    i used the above code and it worked…
    however i could not locate the original location of this code – where it would have been disabled(enabled=false)
    why is that?

    Reply

    1. Yes Srikant, you are absolutely right. This is a bug in the Indian Income Tax Department’s Excel macro.
      I too faced this issue while filing my returns last time.

      Reply

  13. I faced similar problem after using the IT Return Excel Sheet.
    I tried as mentioned above. But it is still not working.
    I do not get any runtime error.

    Reply

    1. Do not run the IT Return Excel sheet during or after using the given solution.
      Or use the given solution once your IT Return task is completed.

      Reply

  14. GREAT ! IT WORKED AND MY PROBLEM IS SOLVED

    Reply

  15. Thanks, It works. But everytime I close excel and restart, the insert option is greyed. any way to make this permanent? I also filed Indian income tax.

    Thanks
    Sun

    Reply

  17. I faced the problem in cut and insert when I opened IT return excel. So This helped me. Thanks a Lot. For enabling the Cut option I made changes in the command like this:
    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“cut”).Enabled = True
    For me it worked permanently.

    Reply

  18. Thank you for sharing, it worked for me.

    Reply

    1. WOW ! it works now. it made me easy

      Reply

  19. Can’t believe Excel is so vulnerable to macros that run in one file to affect the functionality like that in all files. It should be localized to that file alone. But anyways, perfect solution for me.

    Also needed to run the following variations of the command to get column and row cut and insert options enabled:

    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“cut”).Enabled = True
    Application.CommandBars(“Column”).Controls(“cut”).Enabled = True
    Application.CommandBars(“Row”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True
    Application.CommandBars(“Column”).Controls(“Insert”).Enabled = True

    Reply

  20. Great work man! Superb 🙂

    Reply

  21. Thanks a lot. This issue troubled me for a long time. Now its resolved.

    Reply

  24. WOW!!! Worked wonder for me..Thanks a Lot!!!

    Reply

  25. Great, its worked
    Thank You |||||

    Reply

  26. Thank you.

    My problem has been solved by your advice.

    Reply

  27. WOW!!! Worked wonder for me..

    It got disabled after I was trying to file my IT returns. I had to waste 30-40 minutes before I found the solution above.

    The solution worked … Greatly surprised and happy to see that the “Insert” option is enabled.

    Thanks a ton, saved my time !!!

    Reply

  28. Wow Thanks a ton.
    It really worked.

    I was wondering why my insert has misbehaved, buy you have not only provided a solution to the long pending issue but also found problem source as well. I too opened Indian IT Return excel file and immediately after that this insert got disabled.

    Thanks Thanks Thanks

    Reply

  29. Worked for me like a cake walk. Thanks a ton

    Reply

  30. This worked for me!! I was able to enable “Insert” as well as “Cut” option in the MS Excel (by changing Insert to Cut in the command)

    Reply

  32. Fantastic !!! it worked like a breeze … 🙂 Thanks very much !!!

    Reply

  33. Very much useful….Thanks a lot

    Reply

  34. Its really work, thank you for sharing a wonderful information
    And surprisingly its totally free… free…. and free.
    sharing knowledge means gathering knowledge
    thank you once again .

    Error due to filling income tax return. I think income tax department should work on the error and give some releaxation

    Reply

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