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: Sorting a Range of Cells.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 1, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Peter asked if it is possible to sort a range of cells, and just that range. In other words, not to sort entire rows or entire columns. The answer is a resounding "yes," Excel allows you to do the sorting rather easily.
As an example, let's assume you want to sort the cells in the range of C10:F40, based on the values in column D. To do this, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Sort dialog box.
You can also sort by using the Sort Ascending or Sort Descending tools on the toolbar. The steps you follow are just a bit different:
Regardless of the technique you use, only the range of selected cells are sorted. All other information in the data table remains unaffected.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2708) 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: Sorting a Range of Cells.
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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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