Excel

Below is a list of the Microsoft Excel tutorials that we’ve written. Many include step-by-step instructions. In some cases, there may be sample spreadsheets or video screencasts.

I’ve also been updating these articles to reflect the latest Excel version. Presently, I’m using Microsoft Office 365. However, you may see some tutorials that reflect older versions. All the screen snaps have been done on a Windows computer and reflect those commands.

If you don’t have Microsoft Excel, there are three options:

Get an Office 365 (Subscription service)
Buy Microsoft Office 2019 (One time purchase)
Use the free version in your browser.

The free version does require you to have a Microsoft account. As you might expect of a free product, there are limitations. For example, you can open a workbook with macros, but you won’t be able to edit them.

You can read more about the different options on the Microsoft site.

Microsoft also has an Excel Glossary that you can use.

Marked up pivot table showing precincts.

How to Use Excel Pivot Tables to Organize Data

Excel pivot tables are a feature that you should learn how to use. Instead of analyzing countless spreadsheet records, these tables can aggregate your information and show a new perspective in a few steps. You can move columns to rows or vice versa. This short tutorial can get you started with your data analysis. (Check Resources section for pivot table example data.)
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Spreadsheet show 2 examples of DIV 0 error

How to Prevent #DIV/0 Errors in Excel

Ever received an Excel spreadsheet with those crazy divide by zero errors - #DIV/0!? It's an annoyance as it just draws the eye to the wrong cell. Instead, take 5 minutes to apply this fix so you can concentrate on the important parts.
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The Basics of the Excel IF Function

One way to make your Excel spreadsheets smarter is to use the IF function. The program will evaluate one field to see if it's true and enter a new value based on whether the condition was met. This article and sample worksheet shows a simple example of calculating an allowance.
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Highlight Key Data with Excel Conditional Formatting

The problem with many Excel spreadsheets is they make the reader find the key information rather than using Excel to highlight these cells. Fortunately, Excel's conditional formatting can make your data automatically stand out.
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These Excel Forms Make Data Entry Easy

Of all the work related items I need to do, the one I hate is data entry. It's mind numbing and given the chance, I'll make mistakes. One way I found to make the process easier is to use the Excel data form. It's great when the records span across many cells.
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How to Freeze Cells in Excel – 4 Easy Examples

Recently, I volunteered to help a friend on a project which required delivering a weekly Excel summary. When I asked my friend how the spreadsheet looked, he hesitated. He looked me in the eyes and said, "It's too complicated". My immediate reaction was disappointment. I knew the one I produced was simpler, but I didn't know what "too complicated" meant. It turns out the data was fine. I simply needed to show him how to freeze the Excel columns to make scrolling easier.
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Solver results on top of original results.

Quick Guide to Microsoft Excel Solver

Some time back, I wrote an article about a useful function in Microsoft Excel called Goal Seek. It quickly allows you to solve easy “what-if” scenarios. Although helpful, it comes with limitations. However, Microsoft has a more powerful add-in analysis tool called Excel Solver that overcomes these issues. You can even add a constraint.
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Beginners Guide to EXCEL XLOOKUP

One of the more exciting software features to be released in Excel is the XLOOKUP function. Just looking at the name, you might think I did a typo and meant vlookup. No, this is an entirely new spreadsheet function that makes looking up data easier with fewer limitations on your lookup column.
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Customize Excel Ribbon for Your Needs

One issue I run into with this site is software updates. I'll be updating an article and low and behold, something is missing or changed. Usually, this is a result of software changes. The area that is impacted the most is the Excel Ribbon. In two articles, I noticed I was missing the Forms button and in the other case, the Excel Developer tab. Both issues are easily fixed when you know how to customize the ribbon.
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Easy Excel Random Number Generator

Earlier this month, I got a request from a manager in town asking if I could randomly select 150 people from a membership list. No darts allowed. I think the purpose was to do a survey, but maybe it was to select contest winners. It turns out that Microsoft Excel has a random number generator which was the key to my solution.
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