Hosne Ara
In this article, I will discuss how you can select multiple Excel cells without using a mouse. I will use keyboard shortcuts mostly to select cells. So, if you are a keyboard lover, these methods will help you to navigate worksheets more conveniently. Besides, I will use VBA to select various different cells in Excel. While working with big datasets, these methods will save a lot of time.
How to Select Multiple Cells in Excel Without Mouse (9 Easy Methods)
Let’s consider we have a dataset (B4:E14) containing several area’s fruit sales data (date-wise). I will select multiple cells from this dataset using 9 methods. Let’s explore the methods.
1. Select Various Cells Using Shift + Arrow Keys in Excel
You can select multiple cells using the Shift + Arrow keys. First I will use the Shift + ↓ arrow to select downward cells to the starting cell.
Steps:
- Go to the cell (here, Cell E5) where you want to start the selection.
- Then, press the Shift + ↓ keys to select cells downwards. Such as I have selected till Cell E8.
- Similarly, you can select multiple cells, right to the active cell, using Shift + Ctrl +→ keys.
- Later, you can use Ctrl + Shift + ↑ and Ctrl + Shift + ← keys based on your requirements.
Read More: Select All Cells with Data in Excel
2. Indicate Multiple Non Adjacent Cells Using Shift +F8
You can select several non-adjacent cells without a mouse using Shift + F8. Shift + F8 is a great combination of keys to select multiple cells.
Steps:
- Select the first cell that (here, Cell E6) you want to select and press Shift + F8. As a result, you will see Add or Remove Selection mode is activated in Excel (under sheet names).
- Now select the next cell (Cell E9).
- Then before selecting further cells, press Shift + F8 twice. Such as I have selected three more cells (Cell C9, C12 & D12). Ultimately, we will get the following result.
⏩ Note:
If you are selecting multiple ranges of cells, then select the first range, press Shift + F8 once, and select other cell ranges one by one. Finally, press Esc or Shift + F8 again to end the process.
Read More: Multiple Excel Cells Are Selected with One Click
3. Use Ctrl + Shift +Home/End Keys to Select Several Cells
Now, I will select multiple cells without a mouse using the Ctrl + Shift + Home keys.
Steps:
- First, go to the cell from where you want to select (Cell E12).
- Next, press Ctrl + Shift + Home to select all cells between the active cell (E12) and the first visible cell (A1).
⏩ Note:
Similarly, you can select all the cells between the active cell and the last used cell using Ctrl + Shift + End.
Read More: How to Select Cells in Excel Using Keyboard
4. Excel Multiple Cells Selection Using Name Box
This time, I will select different cells using Excel Name Box (next to Formula Bar). Let’s see how to do the task.
Steps:
- First, select any cell from the dataset (here, Cell B6). Then go to the Name Box, and type all the cells that you want to select, and press Enter. I typed B6, C8, C7, and D9 in the name box as I want these cells in my selection.
- Once you press Enter, all the typed cells are selected as below.
⏩ Note:
You can select a range with multiple cells using the Name Box. To do that select the starting cell > go to Name Box > hold Shift key > select the last cell of the selection. Thus all the cells between the start and cell will be selected.
Read More: How to Select Cells with Certain Value in Excel
5. Use Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys to Specify Multiple Contiguous Excel Cells
We can select multiple contiguous cells without a mouse by using Ctrl +Shift + Arrow keys.
Steps:
- Select the starting cell (Cell B14). Then press the Shift + Ctrl +→ keys to select the cells between the active cell and the last used cell in the same row.
- Likewise, to select multiple cells between the active cell and the last used cell in a column, press Ctrl + Shift + ↓.
⏩ Note:
You can use Ctrl + Shift + ↑ and Ctrl + Shift + ← keys depending on your requirement.
Similar Readings
6. Select Several Cells Including Blank Cells in a Table Using Ctrl/Shift + Space
Usually, we can select an entire column using Ctrl + Space. Likewise, by applying Shift + Space, we can select an entire row. However, in this method, I will select multiple cells in a column/ row without using a mouse. And while doing that I will use Ctrl/Shift +Space keys. Before doing that I converted my dataset to a table using Ctrl + T.
Steps:
- Select any cell of the column that you want to select (here, I have selected Cell D14).
- Then press Ctrl + Space, all the used cells of column D are selected as below.
- Likewise, using Shift + Space will select all the used cells in a row.
7. Use Extend Selection (F8) in Excel to Select Multiple Cells
You can select multiple cells in a range using the F8 key. While doing this method, you won’t need to use a mouse.
Steps:
- Go to an active cell (Cell E7), then press the F8 key. Consequently, the Extend Selection mode will be activated in Excel.
- Now, navigate the arrow keys through cells as per your requirement. Finally, when you are done with the selection, press F8 again or the Esc key to exit the Extend Selection mode.
8. Use Excel VBA to Point out Multiple Cells in a Column Without Mouse
In this method, I will use Excel VBA to select multiple used cells in a column. And naturally, we won’t need the help of a mouse to do the task.
Steps:
- Select any cell (here, Cell D5) in the column that you need to highlight.
- Click on the sheet name of the corresponding worksheet, and select View Code to bring the VBA window.
- Now, type the below code in the Module and run the code using the F5 key.
Sub Select_Multiple_Cells()
Dim StartingRow As Long
Dim FinishingRow As Long
Dim Active As Range
Set Active = ActiveCell
If ActiveCell.CurrentRegion.Count = 1 Then Exit Sub
On Error Resume Next
FinishingRow = ActiveCell.CurrentRegion.EntireColumn.Find( _
What:="*", _
After:=ActiveCell.CurrentRegion.EntireColumn.Cells(1, 1), _
LookAt:=xlPart, _
LookIn:=xlFormulas, _
SearchOrder:=xlByRows, _
SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, _
MatchCase:=False).Row
On Error GoTo 0
StartingRow = ActiveCell.CurrentRegion.Row
If StartingRow = 0 Or FinishingRow = 0 Then Exit Sub
If Intersect(ActiveCell.CurrentRegion, ActiveCell.EntireColumn).Cells(1, 1).Font.Bold = True Then
StartingRow = StartingRow + 1
End If
Range(Cells(StartingRow, ActiveCell.Column), Cells(FinishingRow, ActiveCell.Column)).Select
If Not Intersect(Active, Selection) Is Nothing Then
Active.Activate
End If
End Sub
- Upon running the code, all the used cells in column D are selected at once.
Read More: Select All Cells with Data in a Column in Excel
9. Select All Cells in Excel Without Mouse
Till now, I have selected a portion of the dataset without a mouse. This time, I will select multiple cells in an entire dataset using keyboard shortcuts.
Steps:
- Select any cell on your dataset (here Cell B5).
- Next, press Ctrl + A. As a result, the entire dataset will be selected.
⏩ Note:
If you want to select the entire active Excel worksheet, press Ctrl + A + A.
Download Practice Workbook
You can download the practice workbook that we have used to prepare this article.
Conclusion
In the above article, I have tried to discuss several methods to select all cells with data in Excel elaborately. Hopefully, these methods and explanations will be enough to solve your problems. Please let me know if you have any queries.
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