Can't delete excel rows when using select visible cells

I've played around with this a little and I may be able to replicate what you're seeing, but there are many gotchas.

First, from your description, it sounds like you're creating a table on your sheet.

Then you're using one or other of the filtering options to restrict the visible rows on the table to some subset of data.

Then you're selecting those rows. Because Excel inherently also selects the intermediate hidden rows, you're then using Option-; to select the visible rows, right? Then you're trying to delete those rows.

I can replicate this both working and not working.

It does work if I select the cells within the table - I can then use Edit -> Delete Row to delete the highlighted rows.

However, if I select the entire row, - i.e. the selection extends beyond the boundaries of the table - the delete option is not available.

So it seems that Excel is sensitive to the table border and won't let you delete a row that extends outside of the table. Constraining the selection to be within the table boundaries does seem to work.

If my analysis is correct, and that is inconsistent with how it works on Windows, then I suggest Microsoft support is the next port of call.

Either that or migrate your data to Numbers, where tables are inherently discrete and you wouldn't have this problem :)

Hi Ryan,

RyanCatling wrote:

using the excel table filter feature to identify the deletable rows, using select visible cells and deleting those rows.

If you are using Apple Numbers, I would turn this problem on its head. Create filters that show those rows that you want to keep (not delete). An example:

To show all rows that contain "dog" or "cat", insert filters such as

In the filtered table, select all the visible rows and Copy.

Click on a blank area of the "canvas" (the white background) and Paste to create a new table (Table 1-1) with no hidden rows.

The Charm of Numbers!

Regards,

Ian.

As the others who have tried to answer your question have told you, this forum is dedicated to Numbers, Apple's consumer-focused spreadsheet program. Just because you are running the software on a Mac does not mean that you ask the manufacturer of the hardware for answers to software issues. With any software related problem, it is best to start with the support options offered by the company that wrote/released the software. You could start with https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum. The Microsoft Community forums for Microsoft 365 and Office.

On my version of Excel on the Mac (16.98) the general method described here works.

Filter, then select the visible rows, right-click, choose Delete Row.

When the filter is turned off the other rows are still there in Excel.

The behavior in Numbers is different. I can't find an easy way through the interface to delete multiple visible rows if they are not contiguous (no problem if they are contiguous).

The new FILTER dynamic array function can be convenient in situations when the user interface doesn't quite do what one wants.

FILTER - Apple Support

SG

Excel or Numbers?

This is the forum for the Numbers app. If you're using Excel then you will get better support on the many forums for Excel.

SG

RyanCatling wrote:

I did post in the Windows on Mac forum (I couldn't and still can't find an excel one on the apple site)

As you probably know, Excel is not an Apple app (though it runs well on the Mac).

I suggest posting on one of the many forums dedicated to the Excel app. None of these are hosted by Apple.

SG

RyanCatling wrote:

This issue does not occur on non-Apple devices however, which is why I'm posting here for Macbook pro specific support.

Regardless, this is still not the correct forum for your question. It is like asking on a Toyota forum how to fix a Chevy. We are sometimes able to answer Excel questions but I don't know for sure what the "table filter feature" is and am not aware of a menu item or command to "select only visible rows". I'll try it out on my version of Excel and see what happens but I don't know what to do or what you are doing.

RyanCatling wrote:

And as I have repeatedly stated I never posted in the numbers forum, I can only assume my post was moved here by admin.

That makes sense. Someone probably saw your query in the original place you posted it in the Apple Support Communities, and suggested that the admins move it.

Since the question was about spreadsheets the Numbers discussions must have seemed the best fit, even though what you really needed was a non-Apple hosted forum about Excel, including the version of Excel that runs on the Mac.

Anyway, while you're here, you should try out Numbers! I use both. Excel can do it all, including dealing with huge datasets. But Numbers is first-rate for personal projects and medium-sized business projects.

SG

But the replies that say posting on Apple Support Communities is not the correct place are right no matter what forum you originally posted in. My comment to "is best to start with the support options offered by the company that wrote/released the software" still stands & the link to Microsoft's forums will likely get you the answers you need.

If you explain a little more about what you are doing (step by step instructions), I'll be happy to try to recreate it with my version of Excel. The version I have is a few years old.