How to highlight duplicate values in different colors in Excel?

In Excel, we can easily highlight the duplicate values in a column with one color by using the Conditional Formatting, but, sometimes, we need to highlight the duplicate values in different colors to recognize the duplicates quickly and easily as following screenshot shown. How could you solve this task in Excel?

Highlight duplicate values in a column with different colors by using VBA code

Highlight duplicate values in a column with different colors by using VBA code

In fact, there is no direct way for us to finish this job in Excel, but, the below VBA code may help you, please do as follows:

1. Select the column of values that you want to highlight duplicates with difference colors, then hold down the ALT + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.

VBA code: Highlight duplicate values in different colors:

Sub ColorCompanyDuplicates()
'Updateby Extendoffice
    Dim xRg As Range
    Dim xTxt As String
    Dim xCell As Range
    Dim xChar As String
    Dim xCellPre As Range
    Dim xCIndex As Long
    Dim xCol As Collection
    Dim I As Long
    On Error Resume Next
    If ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Count > 1 Then
      xTxt = ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.AddressLocal
    Else
      xTxt = ActiveSheet.UsedRange.AddressLocal
    End If
    Set xRg = Application.InputBox("please select the data range:", "Kutools for Excel", xTxt, , , , , 8)
    If xRg Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    xCIndex = 2
    Set xCol = New Collection
    For Each xCell In xRg
      On Error Resume Next
      xCol.Add xCell, xCell.Text
      If Err.Number = 457 Then
        xCIndex = xCIndex + 1
        Set xCellPre = xCol(xCell.Text)
        If xCellPre.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNone Then xCellPre.Interior.ColorIndex = xCIndex
        xCell.Interior.ColorIndex = xCellPre.Interior.ColorIndex
      ElseIf Err.Number = 9 Then
        MsgBox "Too many duplicate companies!", vbCritical, "Kutools for Excel"
        Exit Sub
      End If
      On Error GoTo 0
    Next
End Sub

3. And then press F5 key to run this code, and a prompt box will remind you to select the data range that you want to highlight the duplicate values, see screenshot:

4. Then click OK button, all the duplicate values have been highlighted in different colors, see screenshot: