Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Deleting Duplicate Columns.

Deleting Duplicate Columns

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 9, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

Dror has a worksheet that contains quite a bit of data. It is possible that the data in one column will be exactly the same as the data in another column, so he wonders if there is an easy way to delete any duplicate columns within the worksheet.

The first step, of course, is to figure out if two columns are identical or not. This can be determined rather easily with an array formula such as the following:

=AND(A1:A100=B1:B100)

(Remember that an array formula is entered by using Shift+Ctrl+Enter.) The formula compares all the values in the first 100 rows of columns A and B. If they are all the same, then the formula returns TRUE. If any of the cells don't match, then the formula returns FALSE. If the result is TRUE you could then delete one of the columns because they are the same.

If you want something that is a bit more automatic, meaning that the duplicate column is deleted, then you'll need to use a macro. The following steps through all the columns in the worksheet and, starting with the right-most column, compares all the columns. If any are the same—regardless of their order in the worksheet—then the macro asks if you want the duplicate column deleted.

Sub DeleteDuplicateColumns()
    Dim rngData As Range
    Dim arr1, arr2
    Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, n As Integer

    On Error Resume Next
    Set rngData = ActiveSheet.UsedRange
    If rngData Is Nothing Then Exit Sub

    n = rngData.Columns.Count

    For i = n To 2 Step -1
        For j = i - 1 To 1 Step -1
            If WorksheetFunction.CountA(rngData.Columns(i)) <> 0 And _
              WorksheetFunction.CountA(rngData.Columns(j)) <> 0 Then
                arr1 = rngData.Columns(i)
                arr2 = rngData.Columns(j)
                If AreEqualArr(arr1, arr2) Then
                    With rngData.Columns(j)
                        'mark column to be deleted
                        .Copy
                        If MsgBox("Delete marked column?", vbYesNo) _
                          = vbYes Then
                            rngData.Columns(j).Delete
                        Else
                            'remove mark
                            Application.CutCopyMode = False
                        End If
                    End With
                End If
            End If
        Next j
    Next i

End Sub
Function AreEqualArr(arr1, arr2) As Boolean
    Dim i As Long, n As Long
    AreEqualArr = False
    For n = LBound(arr1) To UBound(arr1)
        If arr1(n, 1) <> arr2(n, 1) Then
            Exit Function
        End If
    Next n
    AreEqualArr = True
End Function

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7164) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Deleting Duplicate Columns.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Positioning Graphics Evenly

If you have some graphics inserted in your document, you may want to adjust the horizontal space between those graphics. ...

Discover More

Opening Personal.xlsb

If you start up Excel and all you see is your Personal.xlsb file, then you may wonder what you are doing wrong. The ...

Discover More

Skipping Hidden Rows in a Macro

As your macro processes information in a worksheet, you may want to make sure that it skips over rows that are hidden. ...

Discover More

Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Contingent Validation Lists

Data validation can be used to create lists of choices for entry into a particular cell. Using the techniques in this tip ...

Discover More

Shortcut for Selecting a Data Range

Want to select all the data in a contiguous section of a worksheet? The shortcut discussed in this tip makes it very easy.

Discover More

Adjusting a Range's Starting Point

Select a range of cells, and one of those cells will always be the starting point for the range. This tip explains how to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven more than 3?

2021-03-26 21:50:52

dt

Do you have a version of this that will do the same for rows? No headers and use the active selection?

Very Respectfully,


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.