How do you remove columns in Excel?

pjmetz wrote:

That's what I first tried. Nothing seemed to work until I found out that Excel spreadsheets have 16,000 columns that can't all be erased. So typical of Microsoft! So, choosing a column and right clicking Delete was working, I just didn't realize it because the existing columns would fill in what I erased. So I guess if I erased 15,994 columns, I would end up with the six columns I originally wanted.

A spreadsheet isn't a presentation tool, though Apple sort of made it that way. You should use Numbers.

What Microsoft wants you to do is hide all those other columns.

They are essentially all hidden already.

Unless you format them in some way, they don't print.

pjmetz wrote:

That's what I first tried. Nothing seemed to work until I found out that Excel spreadsheets have 16,000 columns that can't all be erased.

In an Excel workbook, empty columns to the right of your last rightmost used column are phantoms; they are merely shown on screen for user convenience, they are not part of the workbook data and do not take space on disk. Ditto empty rows below the last used row.

However, once you place data in a cell in any of the "outer" unused rows or columns the workbook is expanded to include all rows and/or columns up to & including the row & column that cell is in. Ditto if you set the Print Area to include any unused rows or columns outside your actual data area.

If you want a spreadsheet app where you can force it to show on screen only the X-Y area of rows & columns that are in actual use, try Numbers.

So typical? Perhaps you should learn how to use the app.

Right click on the column letter you want to remove. Choose Delete.

pjmetz wrote:

That's what I first tried. Nothing seemed to work until I found out that Excel spreadsheets have 16,000 columns that can't all be erased. So typical of Microsoft! So, choosing a column and right clicking Delete was working, I just didn't realize it because the existing columns would fill in what I erased. So I guess if I erased 15,994 columns, I would end up with the six columns I originally wanted. What Microsoft wants you to do is hide all those other columns. As Steve Jobs said, "They have no taste."

Regards

What is it you are trying to do? If you create a spreadsheet with 6 columns that is what you'll have. Yes you can keep adding/deleting columns as needed. If you scroll a spreadsheet to the right yes a lot of columns will show in your window. But none of those columns beyond the 6 you are using are relevant.

Right-click on the column and choose Delete. Does this work?