Dragging to Clear Cells

Summary: If you want to get rid of the contents of a range of cells, a quick way to do it is with the Fill handle. Yes, you can use drag the Fill handle back over a selection and remove the contents. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

Want a really quick way to clear the cells in a range you've selected? If you've got a hold of the mouse, simply grab the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of the selection) and drag it back over the selection area. As you drag, the cells are grayed out, and when you release the mouse button the values in the cells are cleared.

If you also want to clear the formats in the cells, just hold down the Ctrl key as you drag the fill handle back over the selection.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2986) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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