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: Quickly Deleting Rows and Columns.
You probably already know how to completely delete rows or columns by using Excel's menu commands or the tools on the ribbon. Excel provides an even quicker way to delete rows or columns, however. All you need to do is select the row or column that you want to delete, and then press Ctrl+- (that's Ctrl and the minus sign at the same time). Excel removes the row or column from your worksheet, as directed.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2107) 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: Quickly Deleting Rows and Columns.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
Got a list of data from which you want to delete duplicates? There are a couple of techniques you can use to get rid of ...
Discover MoreIf you need to delete a cell, the Delete key won't do it. (That only clears the contents of a cell; it doesn't delete the ...
Discover MoreGrab some info from a source other than Excel, and you may find the need to delete a certain pattern of rows from a ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2015-12-15 22:10:50
Andrew
This shortcut no longer works for Excel 2016.
None of the guides I can see give me a keyboard shortcut, and it's so inefficient to do this using a mouse.
What is the keyboard shortcut for deleting a row or column in Excel 2016?
2013-01-05 14:35:55
AttiM
Quickly Inserting Rows and Columns:
Select row, or column and Ctrl + + (Ctrl and Plus sign (ie. on numeric keyboard))
Quickly Selecting Row of selected cell:
Shift + Spacebar
Quickly Selecting Column of selected cell:
Ctrl + Spacebar
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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: 
Comments