A Quick Way to Erase Selected Data From a Workbook

Each year I take some of my prior-year Excel workbooks and delete all the old data except for the formulas—a tedious process. Is there a better way to do this?

Excel has a tool for that. Highlight the area of the worksheet you want cleared. In this case, since the data is scattered throughout the entire worksheet, press Ctrl+A. However, if you want to save your labels, just highlight the range you want cleared. Don’t worry, this won’t erase your formulas. Now press F5, which brings up the Go To menu, and then click on Special, evoking the Go To Special screen (see screenshot on right). Since you only want the numbers erased—the constants—click on the Constants radio button. Click OK. If you want comments removed also, return to the Go To menu and click on that button.

Now press the Del key, and the worksheet is immediately ready for next year—with all the constants removed but all the formatting and formulas in their proper place.