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Mich8261's avatar
Mich8261
Copper Contributor
Mar 22, 2024
Solved

Am I loosing my mind? Copy and Paste filtered cells

did I change some global setting without realising it?

 

I work in Excel probably 40% of my work day. It seems to me that until two days ago I could Copy from filtered cells into another set of filtered cells by simply highlighting the (filtered) cells, Ctrl + C, clicking the first cell where I want to paste and then Ctrl + V. In the simple example below I have copied the filtered cells A2, A4, A6, A8, A10; clicked in cell B2 and pressed Ctrl + V. The cells were pasted contiguously (B2:B6). My expectation was for the values to be pasted into cells B2, B4, B6, B8, B10.

 

 

 

 

  • Hello Mich8261

    I am sorry to say so but you did lose your mind 🙂
    Excel can't possibly do what you want it to do the way you want it done. Excel thinks like this:
    A) tell me what you want to copy? OK copy cells A2, A4, A6, A8, A10
    B) Excel said OK You want me to copy 5 cells, got it.
    C) Now tell me where you want me to paste these 5 cells.
    D) You select cell B2.
    E) Excel said OK cool so from B2 to B6 I will paste these 5 cells.

    What would happen if you wanted to copy 5 cells from 5 different rows and 5 different columns?
    You see the problem now?

    I am not sure what settings allowed that I am very skeptical!

     

    Oh you can also check the Visible cells Only option under the Goto dialog and see if that may help in selecting cells that are filtered.

    GAL.

  • GeorgieAnne's avatar
    GeorgieAnne
    Iron Contributor

    Hello Mich8261

    I am sorry to say so but you did lose your mind 🙂
    Excel can't possibly do what you want it to do the way you want it done. Excel thinks like this:
    A) tell me what you want to copy? OK copy cells A2, A4, A6, A8, A10
    B) Excel said OK You want me to copy 5 cells, got it.
    C) Now tell me where you want me to paste these 5 cells.
    D) You select cell B2.
    E) Excel said OK cool so from B2 to B6 I will paste these 5 cells.

    What would happen if you wanted to copy 5 cells from 5 different rows and 5 different columns?
    You see the problem now?

    I am not sure what settings allowed that I am very skeptical!

     

    Oh you can also check the Visible cells Only option under the Goto dialog and see if that may help in selecting cells that are filtered.

    GAL.

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