How to Find Duplicates in Excel
Open your original file., Click the cell in the upper left-hand corner of your data group., Hold down the ⇧ Shift key and click the final cell., Click on "Conditional Formatting.", Select "Highlight Cells Rules," then "Duplicate Values.", Select...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open your original file.
The first thing you'll need to do is select all data you wish to examine for duplicates. -
Step 2: Click the cell in the upper left-hand corner of your data group.
This begins the selecting process. , Note that the final cell should be in the lower right-hand corner of your data group.
This will select all of your data.
You can do this in any order (e.g., click the lower right-hand box first, then highlight from there). , It can be found in the "Home" tab/ribbon of the toolbar (in many cases, under the "Styles" section).Clicking it will prompt a drop-down menu. , Make sure your data is still highlighted when you do this.
This will open a window with customization options in another drop-down menu., If you instead wish to display all unique values, you can select "Unique" instead. , The highlight color will designate duplicates.
The default is light red with dark red text.,, You won't want to delete these values if each piece of data represents something (e.g., a survey).
Once you delete a one-time duplicate, its partner value will lose its highlight. , Whether you deleted your duplicates or not, you should remove the highlight formatting before exiting the document. , This will remove the highlighting around any duplicates you didn't delete.If you have multiple sections of your spreadsheet formatted, you can select a specific area and click "Clear Rules from Selected Cells" to remove their highlighting. , If you're satisfied with your revisions, you have successfully found and deleted duplicates in Excel! -
Step 3: Hold down the ⇧ Shift key and click the final cell.
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Step 4: Click on "Conditional Formatting."
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Step 5: Select "Highlight Cells Rules
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Step 6: " then "Duplicate Values."
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Step 7: Select "Duplicate Values" from the drop-down menu.
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Step 8: Choose your highlight color.
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Step 9: Click "OK" to view your results.
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Step 10: Select a duplicate's box and press Delete to delete it.
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Step 11: Click on "Conditional Formatting" again.
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Step 12: Select "Clear Rules
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Step 13: " then "Clear Rules from Entire Sheet" to clear formatting.
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Step 14: Save your document's changes.
Detailed Guide
The first thing you'll need to do is select all data you wish to examine for duplicates.
This begins the selecting process. , Note that the final cell should be in the lower right-hand corner of your data group.
This will select all of your data.
You can do this in any order (e.g., click the lower right-hand box first, then highlight from there). , It can be found in the "Home" tab/ribbon of the toolbar (in many cases, under the "Styles" section).Clicking it will prompt a drop-down menu. , Make sure your data is still highlighted when you do this.
This will open a window with customization options in another drop-down menu., If you instead wish to display all unique values, you can select "Unique" instead. , The highlight color will designate duplicates.
The default is light red with dark red text.,, You won't want to delete these values if each piece of data represents something (e.g., a survey).
Once you delete a one-time duplicate, its partner value will lose its highlight. , Whether you deleted your duplicates or not, you should remove the highlight formatting before exiting the document. , This will remove the highlighting around any duplicates you didn't delete.If you have multiple sections of your spreadsheet formatted, you can select a specific area and click "Clear Rules from Selected Cells" to remove their highlighting. , If you're satisfied with your revisions, you have successfully found and deleted duplicates in Excel!
About the Author
Donald Gonzalez
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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