Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Going to the Corners of a Selected Range.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 31, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
David noted that Quattro Pro used to have a feature where you could depress the period key when you had a range highlighted and it would take you the four corners of the range in clockwise order as a way to check that you had the entire range you wanted. He wonders if Excel has something similar.
You are in luck, David; there is a shortcut built into Excel that will do this very thing. Interestingly enough, it is very close to the same shortcut key used in Quattro Pro. All you need to do, after you have the range selected, is hold down the Ctrl key as you press the period. Excel moves you through the outside corners of the range, in order.
Further, you can move from the upper-left corner of the selection to the lower-right corner by pressing Shift+Tab once. To move back (from bottom-right to upper-left), just press the Tab key once.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10446) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Going to the Corners of a Selected Range.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
Ever tried to select a range of cells using the mouse, only to have the cells scroll by so quickly you can't make the ...
Discover MoreHiding columns is easy, even hiding column A. How, then, do you get that left-most column displayed again? Here are a few ...
Discover MoreWant to be notified whenever your worksheet needs to be recalculated? Excel may already have you covered, as described in ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-11-01 07:36:39
Thanks.
Didn't know this. Liked this tip. Very handy.
Good day
2019-10-29 10:52:39
Glenn
THANK YOU! I've been wanting to get this capability back for years and had given up on it. I tried it and it's so great to have it back! I could have sworn F6 used to do this but it hasn't worked in years. Ditto to David's comment, I had already added this as a bookmark in my Excel Resources folder when I read his comment. :)
2019-10-28 15:28:24
Preston
Love this tip! Thanks, Allen!
2019-10-26 17:06:18
David Gray
This tip is hugely useful, so much so that it earned a bookmark.
2019-10-26 07:53:34
Alex B
I keep forgetting the key combinations for these, great to have this reminder.
To select the Data area in the first place, from any cell within the data area Ctrl+* or Ctrl+Shift+8, alternatively Ctrl+a
This is also useful when trying to explain "Current Region" to someone.
(Ctrl+a twice selects the whole sheet as does Ctrl+a when outside the data area)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments