How to Use the Paste Special Command in Excel

Instead of copying entire cells, you can copy specified cell contents - such as the cell format or the result of a formula, but not the formula itself - with the Paste Special command in Microsoft Excel 2000. You can also switch data from columns to rows and vice versa.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Pasting Only Values, Formulas, Comments, or Cell Formats

1. Select the cell or range of cells you want to copy.
2. Open the Edit menu and select Copy.
3. Click the cell you want to paste the information into, or click the upper left boundary of the cell range you want to paste the information into.
4. Open the Edit menu and select Paste Special.
5. Select Formula to copy only the formula of the cell.
6. Highlight Values to copy only the outcome of the formula you copied into the cell and not the formula itself.
7. Select Format to copy just the format of the cell (font, alignment, and so on).
8. Choose Comments to copy only annotations for the cell.
9. Click OK to accept the option you selected.

Switching Rows of Cells to Columns or Columns to Rows

10. Select the cells that you want to switch.
11. Open the Edit menu and select Copy.
12. Select the upper left cell of the paste area. The paste area must be outside the copy area.
13. Open the Edit menu and select Paste Special.
14. Select the Transpose check box.
15. Click OK.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not press Enter after you click OK. If you do, you'll copy the cells within the moving border to the paste area.
• To cancel the moving border, press Esc.
• When you copy comments, the copied comments replace any existing comments in the destination cells.