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: Undoing an Edit.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 29, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
It happens to the best of us. You may delete the wrong value, replace the wrong formula, or run the wrong macro. In short, you make a mistake. Excel allows you to undo almost any of your editing actions. To undo an edit or formatting change, either press Ctrl+Z or choose Undo from the Edit menu. The exact wording of the menu option will vary, depending on the last action you performed. The Undo option is always the first item in the Edit menu, however.
If it is not possible to undo an action, the Undo option will not be available. Instead, it will be in lighter type than the rest of the options on the Edit menu.
Excel also provides an Undo tool on the toolbar. This tool looks like a curved arrow pointing backward—to the left. If you click on the tool, it is the same as choosing Undo from the Edit menu. If you click on the tool and you hear a "ding," it means there are no actions to undo. If there are more than one actions that can be undone, click on the down-arrow to the right of the Undo tool and you can see the various actions that you can undo.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2030) 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: Undoing an Edit.
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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:
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