Adding a Tool to Clear Borders

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 25, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365


5

Larry added, on the Quick Access Toolbar, the All Borders command. He wants to add a way to clear all the borders. He added the No Borders command, but it doesn't clear borders; it changes the borders to match the last border option that he chose.

In all the versions of Excel we could test, the No Borders command should do exactly what Larry wants—remove all the border of whatever cells are selected in the worksheet. It is the Borders tool that should behave as Larry indicates, matching the last border option that was applied.

It is possible that Larry has inadvertently selected the wrong command to be added to the QAT, or that the worksheet on which he is working is exhibiting some flakiness. In either case, the first suggestion would be to clear any changes to your QAT and then re-add the commands you want there.

If that doesn't work, you might consider adding a very short macro to the QAT to clear all the borders:

Sub ClearBorders()
    Selection.Borders.LineStyle = xlNone
End Sub

You could also just forget about adding tools or macros and use a built-in shortcut key to get rid of borders: Ctrl+Shift+-. (That's a dash in the shortcut; you could also write it as Ctrl+_, as creating the underscore requires holding the Shift key.) Learning this shortcut could be the best long-term solution, as it will work on any Excel system, in case you are one day working on one that doesn't include the customizations on your regular system.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11305) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Determining if a Text Selection Exists

Macros are often designed to be run on just a selected portion of a document. It is a good idea to make sure that the ...

Discover More

Disabling Printer Notifications

Do you see a notification balloon pop up from your System Tray whenever you print a document? If this bothers you, then ...

Discover More

Declaring Variables

Declaring variables in a macro is good programming practice. Here's how to do it and how to make sure they are all declared.

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Backing Up Quick Access Toolbars

The Quick Access Toolbar is a place where you can easily put your customizations. If you want to back up that toolbar ...

Discover More

Adding a Macro to the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a great place to put anything for which you want quick access. (Duh!) Here's how you can add ...

Discover More

Enlarging Icons on the Quick Access Toolbar

Tired of squinting when you look at icons on the Quick Access toolbar? It seems there is no relief from the eye strain, ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two more than 7?

2021-09-28 11:29:05

Mike D.

I am using Office 365 and it works here. I will have to try this at home with my Office 2013.


2021-09-25 09:04:51

Allen

Sorry, guys. It was a glitch in the publisher. The tip should now be visible.

-Allen


2021-09-25 08:07:49

Alan Cannon

I also don't see the tip. And that happened to me yesterday for the tip of the day.


2021-09-25 08:06:45

Greg

Hi Allen.
Guy beat me to it by 20 minutes. Attached is a screen shot of the empty tip. [{fig}] Not to worry... You have plenty of other fine tips to follow, and i am sure that you will get this one online. :)


2021-09-25 07:48:42

Guy Halligan

I would like to see this tip, but I can't find it on this page. ???

What good is a link to a tip when there is no tip there???


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.