Microsoft Excel is one of the most commonly used spreadsheet software applications in today’s world. It is used by individuals, businesses, and organizations for various data analysis tasks. Sometimes, users encounter data in Excel files that have unwanted or unnecessary text, making it difficult to analyze. In such cases, deleting unwanted text from cells in Excel is a necessary task. This blog post will provide you with several methods to delete text from cells in Excel.
Video Tutorial:
What’s Needed
To follow along with the methods mentioned in this blog post, you will need a computer with Microsoft Excel installed.
What Should I Pay Attention to?
Before you start deleting text from cells in Excel, it is important to make sure that you have a backup of the Excel file you are working on. Accidentally deleting important data can cause irreversible damage, so always make sure that you have a backup copy of your file.
Method 1: Using the Replace Function
Step 1: Open your Excel file and select the column or cells from which you want to delete text.
Step 2: Press the "Ctrl" and "H" keys on your keyboard together. This will open the "Find and Replace" dialog box.
Step 3: In the "Find what" field, enter the text that you want to delete.
Step 4: Leave the "Replace with" field blank.
Step 5: Click on the "Replace All" button. This will remove all instances of the text you entered in the "Find what" field.
Pros:
– Quick and easy method
– Can delete multiple instances of the text at once
Cons:
– Deletes all instances of the text, even if you only wanted to delete some
Method 2: Using Text to Columns
Step 1: Select the cells containing the text you want to delete.
Step 2: Go to the "Data" tab in the Excel ribbon.
Step 3: Click on "Text to Columns".
Step 4: In the "Convert Text to Columns Wizard" dialog box, select the "Delimited" option and click "Next".
Step 5: Check the box next to the delimiter that separates the text you want to delete and click "Next".
Step 6: In the "Column Data Format" section, select "Do not import column (skip)" for the column that contains the text you want to delete.
Step 7: Click "Finish".
Pros:
– Can delete specific pieces of text
– Useful for deleting text that is always between two characters or symbols
Cons:
– Not useful for deleting text that is in different parts of a cell
Method 3: Using the CONCATENATE Function
Step 1: Create a new column next to the column containing the text you want to delete.
Step 2: In the first cell of the new column, enter the formula "=CONCATENATE(A1,"")" (without the quotes). Replace "A1" with the cell that contains the text you want to delete.
Step 3: Copy the formula down to the rest of the cells in the new column.
Step 4: Copy the entire new column and paste it as values into the initial column.
Pros:
– Useful for deleting specific pieces of text
– Can be used to concatenate text from different cells
Cons:
– Requires additional steps compared to other methods
Why Can’t I Delete Text from Cells in Excel?
There could be a few reasons why you can’t delete text from cells in Excel:
1. The Excel file is locked or protected.
Fix: Check whether the file is protected or locked by going to the "Review" tab in the Excel ribbon and checking whether the "Protect Sheet" or "Protect Workbook" buttons are activated. If they are, you will need to unprotect the sheet or workbook to be able to delete text.
2. The text you are trying to delete is part of a formula.
Fix: Delete the entire formula or modify it so that it does not include the text you want to delete.
3. The text you are trying to delete is part of a merged cell.
Fix: Unmerge the cell to be able to delete the text.
Suggestions
– Always make a backup of your Excel file before deleting any text.
– Use the "Find and Replace" method if you need to delete all instances of a specific text.
– Use the "Text to Columns" method if you need to delete specific pieces of text that are always surrounded by specific characters or symbols.
– Use the "CONCATENATE" method if you need to delete specific pieces of text that are in different parts of a cell.
FAQs
Q: Can I undo the changes after deleting text from cells?
A: Yes, you can undo changes in Excel by pressing "Ctrl" and "Z" on your keyboard together.
Q: Can I delete text from multiple worksheets at once?
A: Yes, you can select multiple worksheets by holding down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and clicking on each worksheet tab. Then you can delete text from cells in all selected worksheets at once.
Q: How can I delete text from cells in a pivot table?
A: You cannot delete text from cells in a pivot table directly. However, you can modify the source data to remove the unwanted text and refresh the pivot table to see the changes.
Q: Can I delete text from cells in Excel online?
A: Yes, you can delete text from cells in Excel online using the same methods mentioned in this blog post.
Q: Do any of these methods delete the entire row or column?
A: No, none of these methods will delete the entire row or column. They will only delete text from specific cells.
Conclusion
Deleting text from cells in Excel can be a necessary task when working with large data sets. Depending on your specific needs, you can choose any of the methods mentioned in this blog post to delete unwanted or unnecessary text. However, always remember to make a backup copy of your file before making any changes.