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Why Does My Excel Look Weird? (Common Display Issues and Fixes) 2025

Discover why Excel looks weird and how to fix it. Learn common display issues, formatting problems, and solutions for normal Excel appearance.

RowTidy Team
Nov 18, 2025
8 min read
Excel, Display Issues, Excel Appearance, Troubleshooting, Excel Settings

Why Does My Excel Look Weird? (Common Display Issues and Fixes) 2025

Excel looking weird can indicate display issues, formatting problems, or settings changes. Understanding why Excel looks weird helps you fix appearance issues quickly and restore normal view. This guide covers common display problems, troubleshooting methods, and solutions for normal Excel appearance.

Why This Topic Matters

  • User Experience: Normal appearance improves usability
  • Problem Resolution: Understanding causes enables quick fixes
  • Time Savings: Quick diagnosis saves troubleshooting time
  • Professional Appearance: Normal appearance creates professional impression
  • Workflow Efficiency: Prevents distractions from display issues

Method 1: Check Zoom Level

Explanation

Incorrect zoom level makes Excel look weird. Zoom settings affect display appearance.

Steps

  1. Check zoom: Look at zoom percentage in bottom-right corner
  2. Reset zoom: View > Zoom > 100% to reset
  3. Or use slider: Adjust zoom slider to 100%
  4. Verify appearance: Check Excel looks normal now
  5. Save view: Save workbook to preserve zoom setting

Benefit

Fixes zoom-related display issues. Restores normal appearance.

Method 2: Reset View Settings

Explanation

View settings can make Excel look unusual. Resetting view restores normal appearance.

Steps

  1. Check view: View tab > Check Normal view is selected
  2. Reset gridlines: View > Show > Check Gridlines
  3. Reset headings: View > Show > Check Headings
  4. Reset formula bar: View > Show > Check Formula Bar
  5. Verify appearance: Check Excel looks normal

Benefit

Restores normal view settings. Fixes display appearance issues.

Method 3: Fix Column Widths and Row Heights

Explanation

Extreme column widths or row heights make Excel look weird. Normalizing sizes fixes appearance.

Steps

  1. Select all: Press Ctrl+A to select all cells
  2. AutoFit columns: Double-click between column headers
  3. AutoFit rows: Double-click between row numbers
  4. Or set standard: Set standard width and height
  5. Verify appearance: Check Excel looks normal

Benefit

Normalizes cell sizes. Restores professional appearance.

Method 4: Clear Formatting Issues

Explanation

Formatting problems can make Excel look unusual. Clearing and reapplying formats fixes appearance.

Steps

  1. Select range: Choose cells with weird formatting
  2. Clear formats: Home > Clear > Clear Formats
  3. Reapply formats: Apply standard formatting
  4. Check appearance: Verify Excel looks normal
  5. Standardize: Apply consistent formatting throughout

Benefit

Fixes formatting-related appearance issues. Restores normal look.

Method 5: Check Display Settings

Explanation

Display settings can affect Excel appearance. Checking and adjusting settings fixes display issues.

Steps

  1. Check resolution: Verify screen resolution is appropriate
  2. Check scaling: Adjust Windows display scaling if needed
  3. Check Excel options: File > Options > Advanced > Display
  4. Reset display: Reset display options to defaults
  5. Verify appearance: Check Excel looks normal

Benefit

Fixes display-related appearance issues. Restores normal view.

AI-Powered Automation with RowTidy

While display issues are visual, RowTidy can help by cleaning and standardizing data, ensuring Excel files have proper structure and formatting that displays correctly.

How RowTidy Helps with Excel Appearance:

  1. Upload Excel File: Submit spreadsheet with appearance issues
  2. AI Analysis: Artificial intelligence identifies formatting problems
  3. Automatic Standardization: AI applies proper formatting
  4. Download Clean File: Get spreadsheet with normal appearance

Appearance Improvement Features:

  • Format Standardization: Ensures consistent formatting
  • Structure Organization: Organizes data for proper display
  • Professional Appearance: Creates professional-looking spreadsheets
  • Display Optimization: Formats data for optimal display

Workflow: If Excel looks weird due to formatting, use RowTidy to clean and standardize for normal appearance.

Fix Excel appearance with RowTidy →

Real-World Example

Problem: Excel spreadsheet looks weird with inconsistent formatting

Manual Fix (Resetting view and formatting):

  • Check zoom and view: 5 minutes
  • Fix column widths: 10 minutes
  • Clear and reapply formats: 20 minutes
  • Verify appearance: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Result: Mostly fixed, some issues remain

With RowTidy:

  • Upload file: 30 seconds
  • AI formatting: 2 minutes
  • Download clean file: 30 seconds
  • Total time: 3 minutes
  • Result: Normal appearance, professional formatting

Result: 93% time reduction. Normal appearance automatically.

Best Practices

  1. Check zoom first: Verify zoom level is appropriate
  2. Reset view settings: Use Normal view for standard appearance
  3. Standardize formatting: Apply consistent formatting throughout
  4. Check display settings: Verify display settings are correct
  5. Save view preferences: Save workbook to preserve appearance

Common Mistakes

❌ Not checking zoom: Ignoring zoom level as cause
❌ No view reset: Not resetting view settings
❌ Inconsistent formatting: Not standardizing formatting
❌ Ignoring display: Not checking display settings
❌ No verification: Not verifying appearance is fixed

Related Guides

Conclusion

Understanding why Excel looks weird helps fix appearance issues quickly. Common causes include zoom, view settings, and formatting. If appearance issues persist, use RowTidy to clean and standardize data for normal, professional appearance.

Fix Excel appearance with RowTidy's free trial.