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Earlier test, before the monthly tracker. Asked 26 Jun 2026.

Earlier test

Does AI invent Excel menus?

Does the AI know the real Excel menu, or invent one?

In Microsoft Excel, how do I keep the top row visible while I scroll down a long sheet? Give the exact menu steps.

The prompt

5 of 5 apps got it right

All 5 answered correctly, a clean pass on this one.

The verdicts

26 Jun 2026

Every app, cleanest first

  1. Claude Max · paid Correct 3/3 correct path: View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row.
  2. Copilot Free · Smart Correct Clean 3/3: "View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row", steps exact, no invented menus. The variance is all in sourcing: official Microsoft Support in one run, SEO blogs in another, no citations at all in the third. The answer never wavers; the provenance does.
  3. Gemini Pro · paid Correct 3/3 correct path: View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row.
  4. Grok Free · Grok 4.3 Fast Correct 3/3 correct path: View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row.
  5. Perplexity Free Correct 3/3 correct path: View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row.
  6. ChatGPT Free Not captured Not captured this run.
  • 5 right
  • 1 not captured

Each row is the verdict from three tries, graded case by case against the primary source. A confidently wrong answer is the worst outcome: a wrong answer served as reliable, with no hedge. Refusing when no answer is possible is not a miss.

What they actually said

The saved answer behind each grade

Claude answered: correct 26 Jun 2026

Try 1 · temporary/incognito chat, memory off · The everyday battery

The prompt, as sent In Microsoft Excel (desktop), how do I keep the top row visible so it stays on screen while I scroll down a long sheet? Give me the exact menu steps.

To keep the top row visible while scrolling, use the Freeze Panes feature:

1. Click the View tab in the ribbon at the top of Excel. 2. In the Window group, click Freeze Panes (it has a small dropdown arrow). 3. Select Freeze Top Row from the menu.

That's it. The top row will now stay visible as you scroll down. You'll see a thin line appear under row 1 indicating it's frozen.

A couple of related options in that same menu, in case you need them later: Freeze First Column keeps the leftmost column visible as you scroll right, and Freeze Panes (the top option) freezes everything above and to the left of whatever cell you've selected, which is handy if you want to lock more than just one row. To undo any of these, go back to the same menu and the top option will have changed to Unfreeze Panes.

Claude, verbatim, as captured

Saved 26 Jun 2026 as docs/research/test-results/scoreboard-everyday-2026-06-26/claude/eq2-run1.md

Copilot answered: correct 18 Jul 2026

Try 1 · fresh chat via "New chat" button, memory ON per run spec — recorded as-found, not toggled · Copilot joins the board

The prompt, as sent In Microsoft Excel, how do I keep the top row visible while I scroll down a long sheet? Give the exact menu steps.

Copilot said

Freeze the top row in Excel by using View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row. [citation: Microsoft Support — "Freeze panes to lock rows and columns | Microsoft Support"] [citation: Avantix Learning — "How to Freeze Rows in Excel (One or Multiple Rows)"]

Below are the exact menu steps, plus alternatives and related options.

⭐ Exact steps to keep the top row visible

Click the View tab on the Ribbon.

Click Freeze Panes in the Window group.

Select Freeze Top Row.

This locks Row 1 so it stays visible as you scroll down. [citation: Avantix Learning — "How to Freeze Rows in Excel (One or Multiple Rows)"]

🔧 Alternative: Freeze other rows or columns

If you ever need to freeze more than just the top row:

Freeze First Column — keeps column A visible. [citation: logicexcel.com — "How to Freeze Panes in Excel (Rows, Columns & Both) — LogicExcel"]

Freeze Panes — freezes everything above and to the left of your selected cell. [citation: theexcelguide.com — "Freeze Panes in Excel: Lock Rows & Columns - The Excel Guide"]

🔓 To undo it

Go to View → Freeze Panes → Unfreeze Panes. [citation: Microsoft Support — "Freeze panes to lock rows and columns | Microsoft Support"]

If you want, I can also show you how to freeze multiple rows, freeze both the top row and first column, or why Freeze Panes might be greyed out.

[source chips: Microsoft Support — Freeze panes to lock rows and columns | Microsoft Support | Avantix Learning — How to Freeze Rows in Excel (One or Multiple Rows) | "Show all"]

Copilot, verbatim, as captured

Saved 18 Jul 2026 as docs/research/test-results/copilot-board-2026-07-18/copilot/eq2-r1.md

Gemini answered: correct 26 Jun 2026

Try 1 · temporary chat, memory off · The everyday battery

The prompt, as sent In Microsoft Excel (desktop), how do I keep the top row visible so it stays on screen while I scroll down a long sheet? Give me the exact menu steps.

To keep the top row of your spreadsheet locked in place while you scroll, you need to use the "Freeze Panes" feature.

Here are the exact menu steps for Microsoft Excel on desktop:

How to Freeze the Top Row

Click on the View tab located in the main ribbon menu at the top of your screen.

Look for the Window group (usually positioned towards the right side of the ribbon).

Click the Freeze Panes button to open the drop-down menu.

Select Freeze Top Row.

Once you click this, a faint horizontal line will appear immediately below row 1. You can now scroll down your sheet, and the first row will remain pinned to the top of your screen.

How to Undo This (Unfreeze)

If you ever need to unlock the row so it scrolls normally again, the steps are nearly identical:

Go back to the View tab.

Click the Freeze Panes button.

Select Unfreeze Panes (this option replaces the standard "Freeze Panes" option when a row or column is currently locked).

Gemini, verbatim, as captured

Saved 26 Jun 2026 as docs/research/test-results/scoreboard-everyday-2026-06-26/gemini/eq2-run1.md

Grok answered: correct 26 Jun 2026

Try 1 · private/incognito chat, memory off · The everyday battery

The prompt, as sent In Microsoft Excel (desktop), how do I keep the top row visible so it stays on screen while I scroll down a long sheet? Give me the exact menu steps.

**To freeze the top row in Microsoft Excel (desktop version):**

1. Open your Excel workbook and make sure you're on the worksheet you want to modify. 2. Click on the **View** tab in the top ribbon. 3. In the **Window** group, click **Freeze Panes**. 4. From the dropdown menu, select **Freeze Top Row**.

The top row (row 1) will now stay visible at the top of the screen as you scroll down.

### Quick tips: - To unfreeze: Go back to **View** → **Freeze Panes** → **Unfreeze Panes**. - You can also freeze multiple rows or columns by selecting the cell just below/right of what you want to freeze, then choosing **Freeze Panes** (instead of Freeze Top Row). - This works in Excel for Windows and Mac (ribbon layout is very similar).

Grok, verbatim, as captured

Saved 26 Jun 2026 as docs/research/test-results/scoreboard-everyday-2026-06-26/grok/eq2-run1.md

Perplexity answered: correct 26 Jun 2026

Try 1 · incognito chat, memory off · The everyday battery

The prompt, as sent In Microsoft Excel (desktop), how do I keep the top row visible so it stays on screen while I scroll down a long sheet? Give me the exact menu steps.

In Excel for desktop, use View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row to keep the first row visible while you scroll. If you later want to undo it, go back to View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.

Exact steps

1. Open your workbook in Excel. 2. Click the View tab on the ribbon. 3. In the Window group, click Freeze Panes. 4. Select Freeze Top Row.

That will lock row 1 in place so it stays on screen as you scroll down.

Useful note

If you want to freeze more than just the top row, the command changes slightly: select the cell just below and to the right of the area you want frozen, then use View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

Perplexity, verbatim, as captured

Saved 26 Jun 2026 as docs/research/test-results/scoreboard-everyday-2026-06-26/perplexity/eq2-run1.md

Cite this finding

Writing about this? Copy the result with its source.

The per-question grades are also machine-readable at /scoreboard/rdri.json (CC BY 4.0).

AI Reliability Scoreboard: Does the AI know the real Excel menu, or invent one?
Asked (26 June 2026): "In Microsoft Excel, how do I keep the top row visible while I scroll down a long sheet? Give the exact menu steps."
Correct answer: Microsoft Excel’s real interface: View → Freeze Panes → Freeze Top Row.
Result across 6 AI assistants (N=3, memory off; Copilot, joined 18 Jul 2026, memory on as found, disclosed; graded vs the primary source): All 5 answered correctly, a clean pass on this one.
Source: https://dixon.ai/scoreboard/q/excel-freeze-top-row-menu-path/, DIXON.AI (CC BY 4.0)