Error message when trying to insert a column

Hello -

I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try inserting
columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent possible loss
of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to locate
the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in cells
between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1 and save
your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data to a
new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I don't
know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most grateful.
Thank you!

Kelly

"Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello -
>
> I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try inserting
> columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent possible
> loss
> of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
> locate
> the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in
> cells
> between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1 and
> save
> your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data to a
> new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
> spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I don't
> know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most grateful.
> Thank you!
>
> Kelly

It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last column,
all the way out to the right. Is there?

Whoops Doug, sorry hit "no" thinking that was going to take me to the reply
box.. Anyway, no there is no data out there. There's only data from
a1:ae52. But just in case, I highlighted all columns AF-IV and deleted them,
plus all rows 53 and up. Still doesn't work.

"Doug Kanter" wrote:

>
> "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hello -
> >
> > I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try inserting
> > columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent possible
> > loss
> > of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
> > locate
> > the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in
> > cells
> > between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1 and
> > save
> > your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data to a
> > new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
> > spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I don't
> > know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most grateful.
> > Thank you!
> >
> > Kelly
>
> It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last column,
> all the way out to the right. Is there?
>
>
>

Hey Doug - Just tried deleting rows again (more than last time) and it
worked. Wo-hoo! thanks so much!!!

"Doug Kanter" wrote:

>
> "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hello -
> >
> > I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try inserting
> > columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent possible
> > loss
> > of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
> > locate
> > the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in
> > cells
> > between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1 and
> > save
> > your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data to a
> > new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
> > spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I don't
> > know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most grateful.
> > Thank you!
> >
> > Kelly
>
> It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last column,
> all the way out to the right. Is there?
>
>
>

Debra Dalgleish has some techniques to reset that last used cell:
http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#Unused

Kelly wrote:
>
> Whoops Doug, sorry hit "no" thinking that was going to take me to the reply
> box.. Anyway, no there is no data out there. There's only data from
> a1:ae52. But just in case, I highlighted all columns AF-IV and deleted them,
> plus all rows 53 and up. Still doesn't work.
>
> "Doug Kanter" wrote:
>
> >
> > "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Hello -
> > >
> > > I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try inserting
> > > columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent possible
> > > loss
> > > of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
> > > locate
> > > the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in
> > > cells
> > > between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1 and
> > > save
> > > your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data to a
> > > new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
> > > spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I don't
> > > know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most grateful.
> > > Thank you!
> > >
> > > Kelly
> >
> > It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last column,
> > all the way out to the right. Is there?
> >
> >
> >

--

Dave Peterson

I wish I'd seen this 10 years ago.

"Dave Peterson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Debra Dalgleish has some techniques to reset that last used cell:
> http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#Unused
>
> Kelly wrote:
>>
>> Whoops Doug, sorry hit "no" thinking that was going to take me to the
>> reply
>> box.. Anyway, no there is no data out there. There's only data from
>> a1:ae52. But just in case, I highlighted all columns AF-IV and deleted
>> them,
>> plus all rows 53 and up. Still doesn't work.
>>
>> "Doug Kanter" wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]...
>> > > Hello -
>> > >
>> > > I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try
>> > > inserting
>> > > columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent
>> > > possible
>> > > loss
>> > > of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
>> > > locate
>> > > the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all
>> > > in
>> > > cells
>> > > between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1
>> > > and
>> > > save
>> > > your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data
>> > > to a
>> > > new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
>> > > spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I
>> > > don't
>> > > know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most
>> > > grateful.
>> > > Thank you!
>> > >
>> > > Kelly
>> >
>> > It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last
>> > column,
>> > all the way out to the right. Is there?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>
> --
>
> Dave Peterson

Internet Explorer may be a mess at times, but Excel, like a woman you've
known for many years, is pretty easy to work with if you have any intuition
at all. :-) Or, it was a lucky guess on my part.

"Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hey Doug - Just tried deleting rows again (more than last time) and it
> worked. Wo-hoo! thanks so much!!!
>
> "Doug Kanter" wrote:
>
>>
>> "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > Hello -
>> >
>> > I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try
>> > inserting
>> > columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent
>> > possible
>> > loss
>> > of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
>> > locate
>> > the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in
>> > cells
>> > between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1
>> > and
>> > save
>> > your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data
>> > to a
>> > new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
>> > spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I
>> > don't
>> > know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most
>> > grateful.
>> > Thank you!
>> >
>> > Kelly
>>
>> It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last
>> column,
>> all the way out to the right. Is there?
>>
>>
>>

Yeah I'm going to go with lucky guess. We women are all nuts

"Doug Kanter" wrote:

> Internet Explorer may be a mess at times, but Excel, like a woman you've
> known for many years, is pretty easy to work with if you have any intuition
> at all. :-) Or, it was a lucky guess on my part.
>
> "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hey Doug - Just tried deleting rows again (more than last time) and it
> > worked. Wo-hoo! thanks so much!!!
> >
> > "Doug Kanter" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "Kelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> news:[email protected]...
> >> > Hello -
> >> >
> >> > I'm in an Excel spreadsheet which I did not create. When I try
> >> > inserting
> >> > columns, I am getting the following error message: "to prevent
> >> > possible
> >> > loss
> >> > of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet. Try to
> >> > locate
> >> > the last nonblank cell by pressing CTRL+END and delete or clear all in
> >> > cells
> >> > between the last cell and the end of your data. Then select cell A1
> >> > and
> >> > save
> >> > your workbook to reset the last cell used. Or, you can move the data
> >> > to a
> >> > new location and try again". What on earth does this mean? I the
> >> > spreadsheet is not large but when I hit CTRL+END, I go to IV102. I
> >> > don't
> >> > know how to make this go away. Can anyone help, I would be most
> >> > grateful.
> >> > Thank you!
> >> >
> >> > Kelly
> >>
> >> It sounds to me like Excel thinks there is data living in the last
> >> column,
> >> all the way out to the right. Is there?
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

Deleting columns doesn't work for me....I still can't insert a column. I have tried deleting one.....a couple ....and all the way to the right!