Excel Shortcuts - Select Whole Column/Row

Learn Excel From MrExcel, Podcast Episode 2128: Selecting The Whole Column Or The Whole Row.

Alright. Cool trick here. So, CONTROL+SPACEBAR selects the whole column or SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the whole row like that, and that's cool because once you have the whole column or whole row selected, hold down the SHIFT key and you can drag something back into a new position.

So, I had the rows out of order there, works great, but here's my problem. I can never remember which is which. CONTROL+SPACEBAR or SHIFT+SPACEBAR, I always do it wrong.

Two ways. Here’s two ways to remember. CONTROL starts with a C, so column starts with C. CONTROL+SPACEBAR will select the whole column. Awesome. SHIFT starts with an S and R starts with row, and S and R are adjacent letters in the alphabet, I don't know, or the Bob Umlas one. He says, look, the CONTROL key is really skinny like a column is really skinny, alright? So, think of the skinny CONTROL key selects a skinny column, whereas the wider SHIFT key selects the whole row. Yeah. That might work.

Another bonus trick here -- if you use CONTROL+SPACEBAR to select the whole row and then CONTROL and the – on the number keypad will delete that selection. Here, let's try it with a row. We'll do SHIFT+SPACEBAR and then CONTROL – deletes that whole row. Cool. I love these keyboard shortcuts.

Thanks for stopping by. We'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.