How to Move Columns in Excel?

Question

At my job, I have this spreadsheet of about 30 different sheets of data. The person who worked on it before me had the columns mixed up, and my boss asked me to correct them, for example:

First Sheet Would Be: A1:Name; B1:City; C1:Phone Number
Second Sheet Would Be: A1: Name; B1:Phone Number; C1:Address

The columns go from A to J. The Row's are about 20-30.

I wanted to know besides copying and pasting, is there a way to move around the columns, so I can have all of the columns on each sheet be the same.

Answer 1

Step 1 Choose the column heading (1, 2, 3 and so forth) that you want to move and highlight it. You can also select several columns by holding down your left mouse button and sliding it across the columns which you would like to select, in case you want to move more than one column at a time.



Step 2 Leave your mouse placed on the highlighted column(s) and right click your mouse button. This will bring up a pop up menu with several options to choose from.



Step 3 Pick "Cut" from the menu that pops up. This will make the column you want to move disappear, but your computer will store it in its temporary memory. As long as you don't cut anything else or close the program, your information will not be lost.



Step 4 Select the column that is directly to the right of where you want your selected column to be placed, so that it is highlighted. This is how you let your computer know where you want to place the row that you are moving.



Step 5 Go to the 'Insert' menu and click on the "Cut Cells" option. The column(s) that you chose to cut will be pasted into your selected area.

Answer 2

You can drag columns left or right to change their relative position. Decide which sheet you want to be the 'master', then select the second sheet.



Select a column to reposition by clicking on the column header, i.e. 'A', 'F', etc.



Hover your mouse over the bottom border until the cursor changes to a 4 way arrow.



Click, hold, and drag the column to its new location.



Repeat as needed.

Answer 3

Choose the column heading (1, 2, 3 and so forth) that you want to move and highlight it. You can also select several columns by holding down your left mouse button and sliding it across the columns which you would like to select, in case you want to move more than one column at a time.



Step

2Leave your mouse placed on the highlighted column(s) and right click your mouse button. This will bring up a pop up menu with several options to choose from.



Step

3Pick "Cut" from the menu that pops up. This will make the column you want to move disappear, but your computer will store it in its temporary memory. As long as you don't cut anything else or close the program, your information will not be lost.



Step

4Select the column that is directly to the right of where you want your selected column to be placed, so that it is highlighted. This is how you let your computer know where you want to place the row that you are moving.



Step

5Go to the 'Insert' menu and click on the "Cut Cells" option. The column(s) that you chose to cut will be pasted into your selected area.

Answer 4

I know of no other way of moving columns other than copying and pasting.

There may be a programatic way - using visual basic scripting perhaps, but other than that, there is no other way to do what you are trying to accomplish.



If somone proves me wrong - great - perhaps we will both (and more likely) will learn from this.





The way I use to Move Columns (and Rows) in Excel is to Choose the top cell (number) which will highlight that Column - Right Click on Cut, then Click on the column you want to move it to, and left click on Paste.



To be sure and not replace any needed Column, before pasting the column, Insert a new column in the area you want the one moved to.



As always practice on a new blank Spreadsheet - enter letters or numbers in the top rows to distinguish one column from the other - practice - inserting your blank column, and pasting in the column you want to move.



And of course, make a backup of the worksheet/workbook before making your change - but there is always the undo button if you should mess up.



When you insert a column, it always goes to the left of the hi-lited column.



Good Luck

Answer 5

Select the column you wish to move, position the cursor on right hand edge of column, press and hold SHIFT whilst dragging to new position. This will reposition column without the DO YOU WANT TO OVERWRITE message that would appear if you just dragged the column to a new position

Answer 6

There are 4 columns (A,B,C,D). How do I only copy A & D columns?

Answer 7

you won't be able to do it in viewer as its study basically, oftentimes you may spotlight all of them and drag them over then delete those that land interior the midsection as of course you're going from j to a so the text cloth will finally end up in midsection