How do I freeze just the top few rows of excel and work with the rest?

[darinpj]

To all of you excel experts out there. I have a question.

How do I freeze say the top 5 or 6 rows on a worksheet so that I can not change them or manupulate them whatsoever, but still be able to move, modify or manipulate ALL the data below those rows. For example, can I freeze any number of rows on the top of a sheet, but then cut, copy, move entire columns.

Here is an over simplified example.
Lets assume that
in ROW 1 you have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A1 thru cell H1 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7.8)
in ROW 2 you have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A2 thru cell H2 (A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H)

now, how do I somehow lock or freeze ROW 1 such that if I highlighted column A and cut it, then I attempt to paste it after Column H so that the new result would look like this.

in ROW 1 you still have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A1 thru cell H1 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7.8) in an untouched or uneffected state?
but in ROW 2 you have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A2 thru cell H2 (B.C.D.E.F.G.H A)

Perhaps someone can help or has a youtube video that could teach me how to do this. I don't even know what to call this task?

Thanks
Darin

 

[Michael M]

Hi Darin and welcome to the Board
To freeze say, column"A" and Row 1
Place the cursor in Cell "B2" and then go to
View / Freeze Panes

 

[darinpj]

Hi Michael,
Thanks for reply, but your answer does not help me, however it does not help me. My detailed instructions explain that I want to perform some hybrid function of locking and freezing a variable number of rows at the top of my worksheet and be able to cut/copy/paste (basically move data) below those top say 5 rows but without anything happening to the top 5 rows of data or values. Imagine if you will being able to put values in a range of rows. See my first explanation it is very thorough. So I want to like freeze or obstruct from any changes at all made on say the first 5 rows of data. Then I want to grab with my pointer device say column "C" and highlight column C like I normally would by right clicking on the letter "C" and then highlight the whole column(accept the cells C1:C5 and then clicking on "Cut" in the drop down list. Then I want to move my cursor over to say between column "M" and column "N" and then paste all of the content (all of the values in all of the cells with all of their formatting etc, ((except the content in cells C1:C5) Does this make sense. It would be like me having the top row as the titles of all my content in the column below the title of the column. But I want to freeze or lock row one so that the content in say C1 can not be moved altered or deleted no matter what I do to it, ((while this lock or hold or freeze is put on it. The suggestion you offered will not allow me to leave the content in rows 1-5 yet manipulate the cells below C1:C5, but buy grabbing an entire row by left clicking with my mouse to select the entire column of data and left click on it then to cut or copy it so I can move it elsewhere in my spreadsheet. The reason I ask if that I need to re-organize or resort 50,000 rows of data but I want rows 1-5 to stay there and not move despite what I do to the data below that. Does that make sense?
Please advise,
Thanks
Darin

 

[Expiry]

I think what you're asking for is impossible - and I suspect, not what you really want to do anyway.

It doesn't make any logical sense for Excel to do what you're asking. To 'lock' part of a column, but allow you to select the whole column and move it.

There are workarounds of course, for example you could write a short macro that selects the column from row 7 down and create a button that does the same job as you clicking on the column header. Or use filters. I'm sure there are lots of other ways.

But, as I said, I don't think this is actually what you want to do and the simplest way is to just select the cells that you want to manipulate, and manipulate them.

 

[Michael M]

I don't believe you can do that.
You can't Select part of a column in the way you describe.
You either select the whole column and copy / paste then remove the first 5 cells
OR
you select the cells you want and copy / paste
OR
you write a macro to do one of the above

 

[darinpj]

Hello
I have a question for an excel expert. How do I freeze say the top few rows (say 3-4) of data in a worksheet so that I can not change them or manipulate them whatsoever as long as want until I unfreeze them so that I can change or manipulate ALL the data below those rows buy cutting and copying and pasting entire columns by clicking on the top header of a column?

Here is an over simplified example.
Lets assume that
in ROW 1 you have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A1 thru cell H1 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7.8)
in ROW 2 you have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A2 thru cell H2 (A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H)

now, how do I somehow lock or freeze ROW 1 (until I want it unlocked or unfrozen later) such that if I highlighted column A and cut it, then I attempt to paste it after Column H so that the new result would look like this.

in ROW 1 I STILL have the following 8 values in the same order in the range of cells from cell A1 thru cell H1 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7.8)

BUT

in ROW 2 you have the following 8 values in the range of cells from cell A2 thru cell H2 (B.C.D.E.F.G.H A)

Does this question make sense?

What I am trying to do is copy the top row from worksheet #1 and then paste it onto worksheet #2 such that after I paste row one from worksheet in #1 into the top row position of worksheet #2, I can freeze that top row temporarily and then I can (re-organize / re position / manipulate / re-arrange / move around) the columns that are on worksheet #2 such that I can match the order of the columns in worksheet #1.

Perhaps you have a youtube video that could teach me how to do this. I don't even know what to call this task?

Please advise
Thanks much
Darin