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Quickly Rearrange Rows Or Columns

September 15, 2021 - by

Quickly Rearrange Rows Or Columns

Problem: I want to move row 5 to appear after row 7. I don’t want to sort. I don’t want to insert a new row, copy, paste, delete the old row. What is the fastest way?

Strategy: This topic will cover some little-known shortcut keys.

  • Shift+Spacebar selects the entire row.
  • Ctrl+Spacebar selects the entire column.
  • Shift+Drag Border will insert the selected range in a new spot.
  • Ctrl+Plus Sign will insert cells above or to the left
  • Ctrl+Minus Sign will delete the selection.

Here is an example. Say that you want to move row 4 after row 7 and that you want to move Bobby after Peter.

  • 1. Select the whole row using Shift+Spacebar.

  • 2. Hold down the Shift key. Drag the lower border of the selection and drop it below row 7.

  • 3. Select a cell in D. Select the whole column using Ctrl+Spacebar.

  • 4. Shift+Drag the right border of the selection after column F.

Columns across A:F are Jan, Marcia, Cindy, Bobby, Greg, Peter. You currently have D4 selected.
Figure 79. You want to rearrange this data.

If you wanted to delete column B, select one cell in B, Ctrl+Spacebar to select the whole column, then Ctrl+Minus to delete.

The entire column for Bobby is selected and has been moved to after Peter.
Figure 80. Shift-drag the selection to move it.

This article is an excerpt from Power Excel With MrExcel

Title photo by Justin Roy on Unsplash