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Tips.Net > ExcelTips Home > Editing > Deleting > Removing Duplicate Cells

Removing Duplicate Cells

Summary: If you have a list of data in a worksheet, you know how difficult it can be to get rid of duplicates. This tip presents a macro that makes paring down your data list easier than you thought possible. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

I can't tell you the number of times I have received raw data from some program or from some person, and the first thing I need to do is remove duplicates from the list. If you find yourself in the same situation, the following macro will be a huge help:

Sub DelDups()
    Dim rngSrc As Range
    Dim NumRows As Integer
    Dim ThisRow As Integer
    Dim ThatRow As Integer
    Dim ThisCol As Integer
    Dim J As Integer, K As Integer

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Set rngSrc = ActiveSheet.Range(ActiveWindow.Selection.Address)

    NumRows = rngSrc.Rows.Count
    ThisRow = rngSrc.Row
    ThatRow = ThisRow + NumRows - 1
    ThisCol = rngSrc.Column

    'Start wiping out duplicates
    For J = ThisRow To (ThatRow - 1)
        If Cells(J, ThisCol) > "" Then
            For K = (J + 1) To ThatRow
                If Cells(J, ThisCol) = Cells(K, ThisCol) Then
                    Cells(K, ThisCol) = ""
                End If
            Next K
        End If
    Next J

    'Remove cells that are empty
    For J = ThatRow To ThisRow Step -1
        If Cells(J, ThisCol) = "" Then
            Cells(J, ThisCol).Delete xlShiftUp
        End If
    Next J
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

The macro works on a selection you make before calling it. Thus, if you need to remove duplicate cells from the range C15:C59, simply select that range and then run the macro. If you select more than a single column in the range (for instance, C15:E59), then only the first column in the range is affected. When the macro is complete, the duplicate cells are removed, as are any blank cells.

Tip #2109 applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003


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