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Mike20878's avatar
Mike20878
Copper Contributor
Jul 26, 2019

Can't delete worksheet

I'm right-clicking on a sheet, clicking delete and nothing happens.  The sheet is not protected.  I'm not sure what's happening.

 

I'm running Excel for Office 365 MSO v1902 for Windows.

 

Thanks.

  • Mike20878 

    Hi

    If the workbook is shared you won't be able to delete sheets. To turn
    off sharing, choose Tools>Share Workbook.
    On the Editing tab, remove the check mark from 'Allow changes by more
    than one user at the same time'
    Click OK

    Hope that helps

    Nabil Mourad

    • grumbled0re's avatar
      grumbled0re
      Copper Contributor
      I had the same problem, but the sheet was not obviously shared.
      By doing SaveAs as a new sheet I was able to delete the unwanted sheets.
      In my case the issue may have been caused because the file was in my shared google drive folder - so perhaps some kind of behinds the scenes sharing was in effect?
      • jgovea's avatar
        jgovea
        Copper Contributor

        Save As features worked for me. I was able to delete the unwanted sheet. 

         

    • CosminBuc's avatar
      CosminBuc
      Copper Contributor

      For those of you that are using the online version and found that all the suggested posts didn't work

      I opened the file in browser rather then app and it worked that way.

  • DougFresh's avatar
    DougFresh
    Copper Contributor

    Mike20878 I was researching this issue for myself. Running excel as admin then opening the book solved the issue for me. There is also a setting to always run the program as admin.

    • Anamika1947's avatar
      Anamika1947
      Copper Contributor

      DougFresh Please can you tell me how I can run Excel as admin. I have the same issue of not being able to delete sheets in Excel.

    • Chimestia's avatar
      Chimestia
      Copper Contributor
      If anyone is having this issue in 2024, running Excel as an admin worked for me as well. 🙂
  • WLOMN's avatar
    WLOMN
    Copper Contributor

    Mike20878 

    I had the same problem. Right-click, Select All Sheets, choose Protect (and it will pop up that something is protected) enter password to Unprotect.  That's what finally worked for me.

  • Donald_Genes's avatar
    Donald_Genes
    Brass Contributor
    Simple convert the excel file to CSV Move all the sheets to another workbook and delete? That should do the trick
  • MyraWilson's avatar
    MyraWilson
    Copper Contributor

    Mike20878 

    I have tried all the options others have offered to be able to delete a tab on a sheet, and nothing! 

    As someone else mentioned, I only started having this problem after the last Microsoft Office Update!

     

    • El_Demonio's avatar
      El_Demonio
      Copper Contributor

      MyraWilson 

       

      I figured it out:

       

      Go to the Review tab and click "Protect Workbook". It will have you enter a password to unprotect it. Then you can delete the sheet.

      • Erich_Walrath2020's avatar
        Erich_Walrath2020
        Copper Contributor
        The OP explicitly states: "The sheet is not protected." Are you suggesting that the user protect, and then unprotect the worksheet?
  • Zimy88's avatar
    Zimy88
    Copper Contributor
    I had this same issue tried the various suggestions to no avail. What worked for me was I closed the file then moved the file to my desktop opened it then I could delete the sheet like normal, I saved, closed the file and move it from my desktop back to its original location. I think grumbled0re may be right and it is shared on one of my shared drives, so moving it to my desktop moved it out of a shared location.
    • Cecil_Bailey45's avatar
      Cecil_Bailey45
      Copper Contributor

      I think I'm in worse shape.  Working in Microsoft Excel for Mac. Clicking on the Excel icon opens to the desktop about 30 of what I'm certain are corrupt sheets.  Password or no password will not allow me to unprotect a sheet in order to delete it.  I can close a sheet, but cannot delete it. 

       

      Edit > Sheet > Delete Sheet gets me to—

      A workbook must contain at least one visible worksheet

  • spYang's avatar
    spYang
    Copper Contributor

    Mike20878 

     

    using menu delete option.!!!

     

    home -> cell delete -> sheet delete~!!

     

    i think, its bug of right mouse option~!!

     

     

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