Excel is one of the most commonly used software for data analysis and management. However, it can be overwhelming to work with large amounts of data and deal with duplicate information or want to protect certain parts of your data from being edited. In this article, we will cover two essential Excel skills – how to quickly remove or tag duplicate data and how to block cells, rows, and columns.
Removing or Tagging Duplicate Data in Excel and WPS
Duplicate data can be a significant problem when trying to analyze data in Excel or any other software application. Having duplicate data can cause misleading conclusions and make data analysis more time-consuming and confusing than necessary. In this section, we will learn how to quickly remove or tag duplicate data.
Remove Duplicate Data
If you have a table or sheet with duplicated data in Excel or WPS, you can remove them quickly using these steps.
- Open the sheet that contains the duplicated data.
- Select the range of cells that you want to remove duplicates from. You can click on the “Data” tab, then click on “Remove Duplicates.”
- A new dialogue box will open, and you can choose which columns should be considered for duplicate data and which ones should remain unchanged.
- Once you have selected the columns, click “OK.”
- All duplicate data within the specified range will be deleted.
Tag Duplicate Data
If you want to identify duplicated data rather than deleting it, you can tag it quickly by following these steps.
- Open the sheet that contains the duplicated data.
- Select the range of cells that you want to tag duplicates from.
- Click on “Conditional Formatting” under the “Home” tab.
- Select “Highlight Cells Rules,” then “Duplicate Values.”
- Choose the color that you want to use to tag the duplicated data, and click “OK.”
- All duplicate data within the specified range will be highlighted with the chosen color.
Blocking Cells, Rows, and Columns in Excel
Excel gives you the flexibility to secure the data you want to protect from unwanted changes. You can prevent users from editing specific cells, rows, or columns in an Excel spreadsheet by locking them. This section will help you to learn how to protect your data effectively.
Block Specific Cells
If you want to protect specific cells in an Excel sheet, follow these steps.
- Select the cells you want to block.
- Right-click the selected cells and select “Format Cells.”
- In the “Protection” tab, select the checkbox next to “Locked” and click “OK.”
- Select the entire sheet or the desired range that you want to protect.
- Click on “Review” and then click on “Protect Sheet.”
- Enter a strong password to protect the sheet.
- Ensure the “Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells” checkbox is selected before clicking OK.
- Selected cells are now locked and cannot be edited without first entering the password set for the protection.
Block Specific Rows and Columns
If you want to block specific rows and columns or even a range of cells, follow these steps.
- Select the desired cells, columns, or rows that you want to protect.
- Right-click the selected cells and select “Format Cells.”
- In the “Protection” tab, select the checkbox next to “Locked” and click “OK.”
- Select the entire sheet or the desired range that you want to protect.
- Click on “Review” and then click on “Protect Sheet.”
- Enter a strong password to protect the sheet.
- Ensure the “Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells” checkbox is selected before clicking OK.
- Selected cells, rows, or columns are now locked and cannot be edited without first entering the password set for the protection.
FAQs
Q. How do I protect an entire sheet in Excel?
A. You can protect an entire sheet, including all elements, cells, rows, and columns, in Excel by following the steps below.
- Click on the “Review” tab and then select “Protect Sheet.”
- Enter a strong password to protect the sheet.
- Ensure the “Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells” checkbox is selected before clicking OK.
- The entire sheet is now locked and cannot be edited without first entering the password set for the protection.
A. Yes, you can lock only specific cells in a shared Excel sheet to protect them from being edited by other users. To do this, you will need to go to “Review,” then “Protect Sheet,” and select the cells, rows, or columns that you want to lock. When you share the sheet with others, they will only be able to edit the unlocked cells.
Conclusion
Excel is a powerful tool that can help you organize and analyze data quickly and efficiently. Knowing how to remove or tag duplicate data and block cells, rows, and columns is essential to streamline your workflow and protect critical information from accidental or malicious changes. Hopefully, this guide has helped you to improve your Excel skills and take your data management to the next level.
