Moving only certain data from one column to another

[Tabako1960]

If I have data like this, how can I copy just the data up to the second \ or third \ into Column B? I tried entering the data I wanted into the adjacent cell, hitting enter and then Ctrl E, but it didn't work, or it didn't work correctly or consistently.

D:\FTP\Test\vo.1 validation	D:FTP\Test
D:\FTP\Prod\simulation B
D:\Web\Agents\Applications\Tominex64
D:\Accounting\2020\AP

 

[Eric W]

Welcome to the MrExcel forum!

Book2
	A	B
1		Up to the 2nd \
2	D:\FTP\Test\vo.1 validation	D:\FTP
3	D:\FTP\Prod\simulation B	D:\FTP
4	D:\Web\Agents\Applications\Tominex64	D:\Web
5	D:\Accounting\2020\AP	D:\Accounting
6
7		Up to the 3nd \
8	D:\FTP\Test\vo.1 validation	D:\FTP\Test
9	D:\FTP\Prod\simulation B	D:\FTP\Prod
10	D:\Web\Agents\Applications\Tominex64	D:\Web\Agents
11	D:\Accounting\2020\AP	D:\Accounting\2020
12
13		Up to the last \
14	D:\FTP\Test\vo.1 validation	D:\FTP\Test
15	D:\FTP\Prod\simulation B	D:\FTP\Prod
16	D:\Web\Agents\Applications\Tominex64	D:\Web\Agents\Applications
17	D:\Accounting\2020\AP	D:\Accounting\2020
Sheet2

Cell Formulas
Range	Formula
B2:B5	B2	=LEFT(A2,FIND("|",SUBSTITUTE(A2,"\","|",2))-1)
B8:B11	B8	=LEFT(A8,FIND("|",SUBSTITUTE(A8,"\","|",3))-1)
B14:B17	B14	=LEFT(A14,LEN(A14)-LEN(TRIM(RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(A14,"\",REPT(" ",50)),50)))-1)