After I create formulas in Excel, sometimes I want to lock in the results of those formulas, so I use the Paste Values command. For example, I might use the RAND function to create a set of random numbers. After creating them, I don't want them to change every time the sheet calculates.
Here's how I'd use the Ribbon commands to replace formulas with values.
- Select the cells that contain the formulas
- On the Ribbon's Home tab, click the Copy command
- On the Ribbon's Home tab, click the lower half of the Paste command, to open the list of options
- Click Paste Values
The steps are similar in earlier versions of Excel, but the commands are on the Standard toolbar, and the arrow is to the right of the Paste button.
Use a Shortcut Menu
An even quicker way to paste values is by using a mouse shortcut:
- Point to the border of the selected range, and the pointer should change to a four-headed arrow.
- Press the right mouse button, and drag the cells slightly to the right.
- Keep pressing the right mouse button, and drag the cells back to their original location.
- Release the right mouse button and a shortcut menu will appear.
- Click on Copy Here as Values Only.
The formulas are replaced by the values of their results.
See the Steps In a Video
This technique is a bit tough to explain, so if the written explanation didn't make sense, here's a very short video.
____________________
Of course, if you're using MacXL, you can also assign a keyboard shortcut to the Paste Values command.
One setup I use is CMD-v for Paste, CTRL-v for Paste Values, CMD-OPT-v for Paste Function, and CTRL-OPT-v for Paste Formatting, and CMD-Shift-v for Paste Special...
I have the the following attached to Ctrl+m (make values)
Sub MakeValues()
Dim cRng as Range
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual
If Selection.Areas.Count > 1 Then
For Each cRng In Selection
cRng.Value = cRng.Value
Next cRng
Else
Selection.Copy
Selection.PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteValues
Application.CutCopyMode = False
End If
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic
End Sub
I can't decide which is quicker:
1) Pressing CTRL+C, then move the mouse up to the paste icon in the toolbar, click the down arrow next to it, then click Values, -OR-
2) Pressing CTRL+C, then right-click the selected area, click Paste Special, click the Values radio button, then click OK.
Moving the mouse all the way to the top toolbar seems to take too much time compared to using the Paste Special window that's next to my selected data.
You can tell I don't like moving the pointer all over the screen to do a paste values...
Still, love the tips!
Wait! I figured out what you meant by right-clicking on the selected cells, then "wiggling" the four-headed arrow to the right and then back to the left (the original selection) and clicking Copy Here as Values Only.
Oh, slick!
For efficiency, it's hard to beat Ctrl+C, followed by Alt+ESV and Enter. Those are the hotkeys for Edit – Paste Special – Values. I must have entered those keystrokes 100,000 times in my life.
It still works in Excel 2007, but Alt+HVV (no Enter) is even more efficient. However, I will probably never break the habit.
J.E., Sam, and John, thanks for adding your shortcuts. I use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste, but haven't tried keyboard shortcuts for paste values.
And Bill, this tip is hard to explain, so I added a little video to show how it works. Your description of a "wiggle" is pretty accurate!
Nice tip, I learned this one from Bob Umlas at the Excel User Conference last year.
If you use the mouse, then putting PasteValues on the right-click menu works well, (you can miss out the "wiggle"). You can run the VBA code once and it stays in your menu. (I don't know if this will work for Excel2007, it works in my Excel2000). I also have PasteSpecial and PasteFormats on that menu, but I can't remember the button IDs.
Sub AddPasteValues()
Application.CommandBars("Cell").Controls.Add Type:=msoControlButton, ID _
:=370, Before:=5
Application.CommandBars("Row").Controls.Add Type:=msoControlButton, ID _
:=370, Before:=5
Application.CommandBars("Column").Controls.Add Type:=msoControlButton, ID _
:=370, Before:=5
End Sub
I found this tip in a comment from "James" on DDoE:
http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2005/10/15/mouse-shortcuts/
As in the video, double click on the right bottom corner of the cell to auto fill the column is new to me – and brilliant. Debra, the added value from the videos is excellent. Keep them coming, please.
I have a Paste Values key on my personalized menus. Like the Paste buton, it goes grey when cutcopymode is off, meaning nothing to paste.
2 WAYS in OFFICE 2007
FIRST
Alt + H + V + V
SECOND
1. Select the cells that contain the formulas
2. On the Ribbon's Home tab, click the Copy command
3. On the Ribbon's Home tab, click the lower half of the Paste command, to open the list of options
4. Click Paste Values
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This works as hell. Have assigned it to Ctrl Shift V.
Makes it all very easy
ctrl x = cut
ctrl c = copy
ctrl v = paste
ctrl-shift v = paste values
A simple macro; just 'recorded' by preperforming the Alt ESV trick...
Selection.PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteValues, Operation:=xlNone, SkipBlanks _
:=False, Transpose:=False
End Sub
Using Office 2003. I have always used Ctrl C to copy and Ctrl V to paste....But within the last week, Ctrl V has defaulted to "Paste Value." This is a problem for me, because I cut & paste a LOT of formulas....And I'm so fast/habitual with Ctrl C / Ctrl V, that I often have pasted multiple times before I realzie I have pasted as Values, instead of formulas....Help.
How do I assign the paste values to a short cut?
Making a macro and assigning it a shortcut key is by far the easiest way to do this, but it still really, really sucks because there's no undo for a macro.
With this, and the addition of about 10 more clicks just to add real error bars to a graph, I think Microsoft is really just trying to send Excel users a message that they're only for pretty pictures for bullshit meetings, and scientific and technical users need to just go learn R already.
Alt + HVV works great in 2007, I'll be using that from now on. thx for tip (yes I'm aware this post is over a year old :) )
Dustin, glad you finally found this Excel keyboard shortcut -- even if it took more than a year. ;-)