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Excel delete function question

C

crypticlineage

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
148
0
In Excel for office 08, the delete key will not clear contents of the selected cells, only of the first one. Everytime I need to right click and select clear contents.

Also, if I wanted to delete the selected cells and move the bottom cells up, I would have to use the right click and choose delete option.

Why doesn't the delete key work like it's supposed to?
 
GGJstudios

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,545
943
crypticlineage said:
In Excel for office 08, the delete key will not clear contents of the selected cells, only of the first one. Everytime I need to right click and select clear contents.

Also, if I wanted to delete the selected cells and move the bottom cells up, I would have to use the right click and choose delete option.

Why doesn't the delete key work like it's supposed to?
Click to expand...

It's working as designed. The delete key alone isn't supposed to clear contents from a range of cells or delete a cell.
 
P

Panch0

macrumors 6502a
Feb 23, 2010
684
9
Virginia
crypticlineage said:
In Excel for office 08, the delete key will not clear contents of the selected cells, only of the first one. Everytime I need to right click and select clear contents.

Also, if I wanted to delete the selected cells and move the bottom cells up, I would have to use the right click and choose delete option.

Why doesn't the delete key work like it's supposed to?
Click to expand...

Because it's more of a Backspace than a Delete. Try Fn + Delete. I don't know it that actually works in Excel, but in most cases, Fn+Delete is the traditional "Delete"
 
C

crypticlineage

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
148
0
so am I supposed to right click everytime? What if I have to go through 5000 cells? Clearly there must be a way to set this option? At the very least fn+delete or some such combination should do it, no?

Thanks for moving my thread to the right place.
 
GGJstudios

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,545
943
Panch0 said:
Because it's more of a Backspace than a Delete. Try Fn + Delete. I don't know it that actually works in Excel, but in most cases, Fn+Delete is the traditional "Delete"
Click to expand...

Fn+Delete does clear contents of a cell or range of cells, but won't delete a cell.
 
C

crypticlineage

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
148
0
Yes, the fn+delete deletes a range of cells.

However, my other problem remains, being able to shift cells up, down or left right when I delete. I wonder if there is another key combination for that.

Thanks for the tip.
 
P

Panch0

macrumors 6502a
Feb 23, 2010
684
9
Virginia
crypticlineage said:
so am I supposed to right click everytime? What if I have to go through 5000 cells? Clearly there must be a way to set this option? At the very least fn+delete or some such combination should do it, no?

Thanks for moving my thread to the right place.
Click to expand...

Searching Excel help for "keyboard"... The first hit is "Create a custom Keyboard shortcut". Tools/Customize Keyboard should help you set up a key combination for the Edit/Delete function.
 
C

crypticlineage

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 24, 2010
148
0
YES! YES! YES! Of course....

I set up Cmd+D as my delete key, and viola, it deletes the range of selected cells and moves bottom cells up. Exactly what I wanted.

Thanks.
 
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