Excel challenge question

Let me ask what kind of datas are in the columns; if you have 40 columns and you have to make 8 new columns, it means that you want to merge columns 5 by 5; is that text to be concatenate? Are there numbers to be summed? Are there consecutive numbers like some kind of ID or bank accounts or whatever (so you don't have to sum but you have to see all numbers)...

Starting from that, the method is kinda easy. It's just different, depending on the source.

Numbers to be summed:

in the new column, use the formula =SUM(row1column1;row1column2;row1column3... to 5)

In the next new column continue with the numbers:

=SUM(row1column6 to 10)

Then 11 to 15, 16 to 20, 21 to 25, 26 to 30, 31 to 35 and 36 to 40.

Then copypaste the formulas for the rows.

With the same strategy (splitting the 40 columns in 8 groups of 5), if you have numbers to visualize entirely:

=row1column1&row1column2&row1column3&row1column4&row1column5

Then the same with 6 to 10, 11 to 15, 16 to 20, 21 to 25, 26 to 30, 31 to 35 and 36 to 40.

This last strategy is also usable for plain text.