How to Change Excel References from Absolute to Relative

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A lot of document developers (especially business owners) find themselves in situations where large amounts of simple, tedious work needs to be done. This covers a wide range of potential problems but one of the most prevalent is the need to refine an Excel spreadsheet for cell references. This is particularly common when huge spreadsheets of information must be correctly altered. It is also common for students that want to change lab reports or other Excel spreadsheets. While inspecting a spreadsheet for cell references is an easy task, the repetition and monotony can definitely wear on an individual.

There is always the standard method of Excel spreadsheet clean up. This involves opening the spreadsheet and combing through it. Then start reading through the spreadsheet and looking for how the references are typed in. If a cell needs to subtract the value of cell B1 from cell A1 then the formula would be entered as (= A1 - B1). If this formula must always use cell A1, then it would be altered to show (= $A$1 - B1). This method is quite inefficient and a huge waste of your time.

Excel also has a built in 'Filter' option to allow for spreadsheet clean up. To use this feature, first specify any cells you wish to check for duplicate information. Then, select the 'Data' tab in the ribbon bar at the top of the Excel window. Choose the 'Filter' option and then select 'Advanced Filter'. Then, use the options available inside the Advanced Filter box to specify locating any cells using a '$' as an absolute reference. However, this only works in the event of [http://www.hothotsoftware.com/excel_change_cell_reference_type_software/ changing an absolute reference] to a relative reference.

A huge productivity boost can be found through a simple stop at www.hothotsoftware.com. Just searching for 'How to Change References of Multiple Excel Cells' results in a program specifically written to satisfy your Excel file needs. The program is actually written to operate within the Excel spreadsheet program itself, also referred to as a plugin. This means that after opening Microsoft Excel, you will notice an extra tab in the ribbon bar across the top of the window. This new tab will say 'Change Reference Type'. This tab sports a classic user interface that enables even a basic computer user to understand and master the software in a short amount of time. From here, any number of cells within the spreadsheet may be chosen. Then, select the [http://www.hothotsoftware.com/excel_change_cell_reference_type_software/ 'Change Reference Type'] tab. This will bring up a box with two possibilities for text alterations in the cells. These alterations include absolute cell references and relative cell references. The right side of the box permits the changes to be applied to the chosen cells, whole spreadsheet, or entire Excel workbook.

To learn more about boosting your document productivity, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ust8cyJUgew#t=116. [http://www.hothotsoftware.com/excel_change_cell_reference_type_software/ Cell references] can be vitally important and they must be inputted correctly. Don't waste your time and worry about making a mistake. Let this software handle it for you and put your mind at ease.

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⏰ Last updated: Feb 19, 2014 ⏰

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