Select Just Text in an Excel Worksheet

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Ever wish for an easy way to select just the text in your MS Excel worksheet?

Let's say, maybe you need to change the formatting of all of it, but only the text and none of the data.

Or, maybe you are looking to select only the data, so you can delete it all at once.

Whatever your need, you are obviously looking to make some quick cell selections of multiple ranges, based on the type of information in the cell.

Interested in a way to complete the selection without a bunch of Shift, Ctrl and clicking?

Yep, me too, so let's get right to business.

Obviously, you have to open your Excel workbook.

Next we need to be in the Go To dialog box.

Now, in older versions of Excel we need the Edit menu, Go To choice (Ctrl + G).

For my Excel 2007 users you need to locate the Find & Select button on the Home tab of the Ribbon.

From the list choose Go To... and, as you can see above, Ctrl + G also works for this version of Excel.

All versions of Excel will give you a dialog box that looks like this:

At this point, click the Special button.

In the Go To Special window, you need to select Constants.

This will also activate the four choices (Numbers, Text, Logicals and Errors) below the Formulas choice.

Be sure to uncheck any type of constant you do NOT want highlighted. (So, if you want to select all the text, leave only the Text choice selected.)

Click OK.

Voila! You are returned to your worksheet where you'll find all the indicated information selected throughout.

That sure beats the whole Shift/Ctrl highlighting by hand thing, doesn't it?!

~ April

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