To remove formulas while keeping the resulting values in a spreadsheet, follow these steps:
- Select the cell(s) or range of cells containing the formulas you want to remove.
- Copy the selected cells. You can do this by pressing
Ctrl + C(Windows) orCommand + C(Mac). - Paste the copied values back into the same cell(s). However, instead of a regular paste, you'll perform a "Paste Values" operation.
- In Microsoft Excel, right-click on the selected cells, choose "Paste Special...", and then select "Values" from the Paste Special dialog box. Click "OK". Alternatively, you can find the "Paste Values" option directly under the "Paste" dropdown menu on the Home tab.
- In Google Sheets, right-click on the selected cells, choose "Paste special", and then select "Paste values only". Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut
Ctrl + Shift + V(Windows) orCommand + Shift + V(Mac).
This process replaces the formulas with their calculated results, effectively removing the formulas while preserving the displayed values.
Removing Array Formulas
If you're dealing with array formulas, the process is slightly different:
- Click a cell within the array formula's range. This means any cell that is part of the array formula output.
- On the Home tab in Excel, navigate to the Editing group.
- Click Find & Select, then choose Go To.
- In the Go To dialog box, click Special.
- Select Current array. This will select the entire array formula range.
- Press DELETE to remove the array formula and its results. If you only want to remove the formula and keep the last calculated values, you'll need to select the range and 'Paste Values' as described in the first section.
Important Considerations:
- Backup: Before removing any formulas, especially complex ones, consider creating a backup of your spreadsheet. This allows you to revert to the original state if needed.
- Dependencies: Be aware that removing formulas can affect other cells in your spreadsheet that depend on those formulas for their calculations.
