Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Moving Cells Using the Mouse.

Moving Cells Using the Mouse

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated February 15, 2021)

2

As you edit your worksheet, you can use the mouse to move cells from one location to another. You do this by following these steps:

  1. Select the range of cells you want to move by highlighting the range with the mouse.
  2. Position the mouse pointer over the heavy border that surrounds the selected range. The pointer should turn into an arrow.
  3. Click and drag the range to a new location. As you move the mouse, the outline of the range moves.
  4. When you are satisfied with the new location, release the mouse pointer. The cells are moved.

If there is anything already at the target location, Excel may ask you if you want to overwrite the existing cells. You can respond according to your desires.

If you cannot seem to edit this way, or if no heavy border (step 2) appears around your selected range, then drag-and-drop editing is probably turned off on your system. To check this, follow these steps:

  1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In later versions of Excel display the File tab of the ribbon and click Options.)
  2. Click the Advanced option at the left of the dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Advanced option of the Excel Options dialog box.

  3. In the Editing Options area, make sure the Enable Fill Handle and Cell Drag-and-Drop check box is checked.
  4. If you want to be warned before overwriting information during an edit, make sure the Alert Before Overwriting Cells check box is selected.
  5. Click on OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12351) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Moving Cells Using the Mouse.

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. ...

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What is five more than 5?

2021-02-15 04:20:53

Willy Vanhaelen

In point 2 "The pointer should turn into an arrow.", should be "The pointer should turn into a CROSS arrow (move pointer)." (see fig 1).

You can also use this technique to COPY cells by holding down the Ctrl key. The pointer should turn into the copy pointer (see fig 2).

(see Figure 1 below)
(see Figure 2 below)

Figure 1. move pointer

Figure 2. copy pointer

2016-03-12 20:34:21

Bob D

This is fine for raw data that is not managed elsewhere in the application by way of data dependency or formulae interrogation. Indeed it can be dangerous to the point of totally destroying the integrity of data analysis. Best disabled.

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