# Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum > Excel Charting & Pivots >  >  chart disappears when I hide columns with values

## mufan

Hi,
My chart disappears when I hide the columns that have the values the chart is composed of.  How do I keep it from doing this and still hide the column?  Thanks

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## Paul

Hi Mufan,

In Excel 2003, do this:

1. Select your chart, then click Tools > Options
2. On the 'Chart' tab, un-check 'Plot visible cells only', click OK.
3. Hide your data and the chart should stay put!

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## Paul

In case anyone wonders, in Excel 2007 it's a bit different:

1. Right-click on your chart and choose 'Select Data'
2. Click the 'Hidden and Empty cells' button in the lower left
3. Check the box for 'Show data in hidden rows and columns', click OK twice.
4. Hide your data.

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## GunnerGA

SOLVED - at least for my situation

I have a large worksheet with numerous tabs of charts related to my website performance. After entering in data this morning I checked on a chart and realized that almost all were devoid of the data. The frame of the charts were there but the rest had disappeared. I assumed for awhile that that was unrelated to my data entry.

HOWEVER, upon further notice, I realized that I had entered in a date of 10/102010  and omitted the "/". Having done so, it rendered all charts with the date field useless. Fixing that single entry brought all my charts back that use the date field.

So double and even triple check your data entry to ensure that YOU are not the reason why your data disappeared. Had I followed the advice above I would have wasted a boat load of time. And since I had a few charts that DID display had to troubleshoot what made them different that those that had vanished.

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## niravrph

> In case anyone wonders, in Excel 2007 it's a bit different:
> 
> 1. Right-click on your chart and choose 'Select Data'
> 2. Click the 'Hidden and Empty cells' button in the lower left
> 3. Check the box for 'Show data in hidden rows and columns', click OK twice.
> 4. Hide your data.



I have multiple Charts on one sheet... if I do the above on one Chart, it doesn't work on subsequent charts. What happens is that new lines get added to my chart (!) if I click the 'Hidden and Empty cells' button. Why is this and what could be the remedy?

Thank you,
NIRAV

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