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How to move column/row without replacing/overwriting existing data in Excel?

When working in Excel, sometimes you may need to move a column or row to a new location in order to make it easy to read. In this article, we will introduce several methods for you.

Move column/row without replacing existing data with dragging
Move column/row without replacing existing data with cutting and pasting
Easily move column with Kutools for Excel


Move column/row without replacing existing data with dragging

An easy way for you to move column or row without replacing existing data with dragging. Please do as follows.

1. Click on the specified column heading or row number to select the entire column or row you need to move.

2. Move the cursor to the edge of selected column or row until it changes to a 4-sided arrow cursor , press and hold the Shift key then drag the selected column or row to a new location. See screenshot:

Now the selected column or row is moved to a new location as above screenshot shown.


Easily move column without replacing existing data in worksheet:

The Column List pane of Kutools for Excel can help you quickly reorder columns in worksheet as the below demo shown.
Download and try it now! (30-day free trail)


Move column/row without replacing existing data with cutting and pasting

Also, you can move column or row without replacing existing data with cutting and pasting.

1. Select the entire column or row you need to move, right click on it and select Cut in the right-clicking menu.

2. Select and right click a certain column or row which you want to put the cut range before it, then click Insert Cut Cells in the list. See screenshot:

Then the cut column or row is moved to the certain location immediately.


Easily move column with Kutools for Excel

Here i recommend you the Column List utility of Kutools for Excel, with this utility, you can view all columns in the column list pane, and move columns to new column postions by dragging and dropping.

Before applying Kutools for Excel, please download and install it firstly.

1. Click Kutools > Navigationto open the Kutools Pane. See screenshot:

2. Then the Kutools Navigation pane is displayed on the left side of Excel, you need to:

2.1) Click the Column list button to open the Column list pane;
2.2) Select the column you want to reorder;
2.3) Click the Up or Down button to move it.

  If you want to have a free trial (30-day) of this utility, please click to download it, and then go to apply the operation according above steps.

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Comments (4)
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This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
This does not work. Shift button doesn't change anything. It still wants to replace data. I still cannot re-order my columns or rows without extra steps of creating new blank row and deleting old one.The other method of first cutting the data, then right-click to "Insert cut cells" works. I still feel it's more clunky than the google docs way of just dragging it, but at least there's a way to do it at all.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
does not work, it still want's to replace content
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
If you want to for example, switch 2 columns, I think if you simply insert a blank column where you want the data to go, and then replace the content in the blank column with the row you want to move it will work.  Then delete the remaining empty column.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
not help full, i am so disappointed by the information provided
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