Excel Refresh All Shortcut for Windows and Mac

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+Alt+F5 to refresh all data connections in the workbook. On Mac, use Control+Option+F5 where supported; you can also choose Data > Refresh All on either platform.

What Refresh All Does

Refresh All asks Excel to update the workbook’s connected data, rather than merely recalculating the formulas already in its cells. Depending on how the file is built, that can include Power Query queries, external data connections, and PivotTables that use those sources. The command applies across the workbook, so it is useful when a report depends on more than one imported table or connection.

What changes after the command depends on the source and the workbook’s settings. For example, a query may fetch the latest rows from a database, while a PivotTable may then need to reflect the refreshed source. Excel does not guarantee that every connection can be updated: the source must be reachable, and the user may need permission or valid sign-in details.

Refresh All is not the same as recalculating formulas. It does not, by itself, mean “recalculate every formula now.” If the data has already been loaded and only formulas need updating, use Excel’s calculation commands instead. Keeping these actions separate helps diagnose whether a stale result comes from imported data or from calculation.

How to Use the Shortcut on Windows

Click inside the workbook you want to update, then press Ctrl+Alt+F5. Excel starts refreshing the workbook’s eligible data sources. For the ribbon equivalent, select Data > Refresh All. The ribbon command is a useful fallback if the keyboard combination is intercepted by another application or a keyboard utility.

Do not confuse Refresh All with Alt+F5. In Excel for Windows, that shortcut refreshes the selected query or connection when applicable; it is not the workbook-wide command. The two-key and three-key combinations are easy to mix up, so use the ribbon label to confirm which action you want.

Refresh All: Ctrl+Alt+F5, or Data > Refresh All.
Refresh one selected connection or query: Alt+F5, where the selected item supports it.
Recalculate formulas: use the calculation commands, such as F9 for calculation in Excel for Windows, rather than a data-refresh command.

On some laptops, the function-key row is assigned to hardware actions such as volume or brightness. If pressing an F5 combination changes a hardware setting or does nothing, try holding the keyboard’s Fn key as well, or use Data > Refresh All. The required Fn behavior depends on the computer’s keyboard settings.

Using Refresh All on a Mac

In Excel for Mac, the Refresh All shortcut is commonly listed as Control+Option+F5. Mac keyboards and Excel releases can handle function keys differently, so the reliable menu alternative is Data > Refresh All. If your keyboard uses F5 for a system feature, hold Fn as needed or use the menu.

Do not substitute Command+R based on its use in other Mac apps. That is not Excel’s general Refresh All command. Likewise, a Windows shortcut printed in a guide may not transfer directly to Mac because the modifier keys and function-key behavior differ.

If you are using Excel for the web, keyboard shortcuts can depend on the browser and its own reserved combinations. Use the available refresh control in Excel’s Data tab if the desktop shortcut does not work. The web app’s available data sources and refresh behavior can also differ from desktop Excel, so a command that works in a Windows workbook may not be available for every web-based connection.

Refresh All Versus Refreshing One Item

Refreshing just one query or connection can save time when you know exactly which data needs updating. Refresh All is preferable when multiple pieces of a report depend on different sources, or when you are not sure which connection has changed. Consider a workbook with an imported orders table, a separate product lookup query, and PivotTables based on the loaded data: Refresh All is the broad command intended to update the workbook’s connected sources together.

A refresh is not necessarily instantaneous, and Excel may process several sources in sequence or in the background. The workbook can appear available while a connection is still updating. Avoid assuming the report is current until the refresh has finished, especially before exporting figures or sharing the file.

For a routine update, a sensible sequence is:

Save the workbook, particularly if you have made other changes.
Run Refresh All and respond to any sign-in, permission, or confirmation prompt.
Wait for the query or connection activity to finish.
Check a few expected results, such as the newest date or a known total, and confirm any dependent PivotTables display the updated data.

What Gets Refreshed—and What Does Not

The command targets connections and refreshable data objects configured in the workbook. It is not a universal reload of every visible value. A typed-in cell has no external source to refresh. A formula linked to imported data may show a different result after the source updates, but that is a consequence of refreshed inputs and calculation, not proof that every formula or feature was independently refreshed.

For Power Query, Refresh All can run queries that load data to a worksheet or the workbook’s data model, subject to the query’s configuration and the source being available. A query set not to refresh, a connection that requires credentials, or a source blocked by network or privacy settings may not update as expected. Some workbooks also configure refresh behavior when the file opens; that is separate from manually pressing the shortcut.

PivotTable behavior depends on the PivotTable’s source and connection. A PivotTable based on refreshed external or query data may need its cache or source to update as part of the workbook refresh workflow. If the data looks current but the PivotTable does not, use the PivotTable’s own refresh command and verify its source range or connection. A PivotTable based on a fixed worksheet range will not include newly added rows outside that range unless the source range expands, for example by using an Excel table.

Refresh All Is Not the Same as Recalculate

This distinction answers a frequent source of confusion. Refreshing retrieves or reloads data from a source; recalculation evaluates formulas using the values Excel already has. If a formula refers to a live imported table, refresh the data first, then check that calculation is set appropriately. If a formula result is stale but its inputs are correct, a calculation command may be the relevant step.

For example, suppose a worksheet contains yesterday’s imported sales and a total calculated from those rows. Recalculating can recompute the total, but it cannot fetch today’s sales from the database. Conversely, if the new sales rows are already present and the total appears outdated, refreshing the database again may not address the calculation setting. Identifying which layer is stale avoids unnecessary refreshes and helps narrow down errors.

Common Problems and Checks

If Ctrl+Alt+F5 appears to do nothing, first try Data > Refresh All. Then check whether the workbook actually contains a refreshable connection. A workbook with only manually entered data and formulas may have nothing for Refresh All to update.

Sign-in or access prompt: confirm that you can access the source with the account or credentials Excel requests.
Network or server error: check the connection, VPN, server availability, and whether the source address is still valid.
Old rows remain: determine whether the query is filtering them out or whether the source table or query range excludes newer records.
Refresh seems incomplete: wait for background activity to finish, then inspect the query or connection status and any error message.
PivotTable has old figures: refresh the PivotTable separately if necessary and confirm that its source includes the updated data.
Shortcut does not register: try the ribbon command, check the Fn key behavior, and make sure Excel is the active window.

For a persistent issue, inspect the connection or query settings rather than repeatedly pressing the shortcut. In desktop Excel, the Data tab provides access to queries and connections, where you can review the source and refresh-related options. The exact controls vary by connection type; avoid changing credentials or privacy settings unless you understand how the workbook uses that source.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Excel shortcut to refresh all?
In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+Alt+F5. On Mac, use Control+Option+F5 where supported, or select Data > Refresh All.

Does Ctrl+Alt+F5 refresh every worksheet?
It refreshes eligible data connections and refreshable sources across the workbook, not every cell or formula as a separate action. Ordinary typed values do not refresh.

What is the difference between Alt+F5 and Ctrl+Alt+F5?
Alt+F5 refreshes a selected query or connection when applicable. Ctrl+Alt+F5 is the workbook-wide Refresh All shortcut in Excel for Windows.

Why did Refresh All not update my PivotTable?
The PivotTable may use a fixed source range, a separate cache, or a connection that did not refresh successfully. Refresh the PivotTable itself and check that its source includes the newest data.

Does Refresh All recalculate formulas?
Not as a substitute for Excel’s calculation commands. Refresh All updates eligible external or imported data; formula recalculation is a separate operation.

When to Use the Menu Instead

The shortcut is fastest for repeated workbook updates, but Data > Refresh All is clearer when you are troubleshooting, working on a Mac with unusual function-key settings, or helping someone who may not know the key combination. It also makes the intended action visible and avoids confusion with a single-connection refresh.

For regular reporting, use Refresh All when the workbook’s connected sources need updating, then verify completion and check the key figures before relying on them. If the goal is only to recalculate formulas, choose a calculation command; if just one query needs updating, refresh that item. Matching the command to the kind of data keeps the refresh process predictable.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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