Reasons for Being Unable to Insert Columns in Excel
Before exploring solutions for the issue of not being able to insert columns in Excel, it is essential to understand the reasons behind this error. Here are some common causes.
1. Content in the Last Column
If there is any content in the last column of your Excel spreadsheet, you won’t be able to insert a new column. For instance, if you have the following text in the last column of your Excel spreadsheet, as shown in the image.
Now, if you attempt to insert a new column, an error message will pop up, saying: Microsoft Excel can’t insert new cells because it would push non-empty cells off the end of the worksheet. These non-empty cells might appear empty but have blank values, some formatting, or a formula. Delete enough rows or columns to make room for what you want to insert and then try again.
Hence, when your Excel data table has a non-empty last column, you won’t be able to insert a new column into your dataset. You also can’t move the non-empty cells in this case.
2. Outside Border or All Borders for the Entire Spreadsheet
If you add an outside border or all borders by selecting the entire Excel data table, you won’t be able to insert a new column into the spreadsheet. To check if this is the case, follow these steps:
Step 1: Select the entire data table you want to check by clicking on the top-left corner where the row number meets the column number.
Step 2: Go to the Home menu, then Borders, and choose Outside Borders from the drop-down menu to add borders to the outside of your data table.
Step 3: Now, if you try to insert a new column, an error message will appear, and you won’t be able to insert the column.
3. Merged Rows
If you have merged all the cells in a row within your data table, you won’t be able to insert a new column into the data table. For example, as shown in the image below, merge all the cells in the third row of the data table and see what happens.
To merge all the cells in row 3, follow these steps:
Step 1: Select all the cells in row 3 by clicking on the row number on the far-left column.
Step 2: Go to the Home tab on the ribbon and click the Merge and Center button in the Alignment group. This will merge all the cells in row 3. Now, if you try to insert a new column, an error message will appear, indicating that it is not possible to insert a new column in this data table.
4. Conditional Formatting for the Entire Spreadsheet
If you accidentally apply conditional formatting to the entire spreadsheet instead of specific cells in the data table, you won’t be able to insert a new column into the spreadsheet.
5. Protected Spreadsheet
If your Excel data table is password-protected, you also won’t be able to insert columns into the protected Excel data table.
To check if your Excel data table is protected, simply right-click on any column in the data table, and you will see that the Insert option is grayed out. This indicates that you cannot insert columns into this protected spreadsheet.
Troubleshooting Guide: Unable to Insert Columns in Excel
Now that we know the potential causes of the issue, let’s explore effective solutions to address the problem of Excel not allowing column insertion in a data table.
1. Delete All Columns Outside the Dataset
If you delete all the content and formatting of the columns outside your dataset, the last column of your dataset will be completely empty, and you will be able to insert a new column as usual.
Step 1: Select the first cell of the first empty column, press Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow, and then press Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow. This will select all the cells outside your data table.
Step 2: Go to the Home menu, then Editing, and choose Clear All. This will clear all content and formatting from the selected cells, revealing the top of your data table.
Step 3: Now, when you right-click on the column number of your data table, a drop-down menu will appear. Choose the Insert option to insert a column as usual.
2. Delete Data from Excess Columns in Excel
One of the most common reasons for not being able to insert columns in Excel is that Excel believes doing so would result in the loss of some data. This occurs when Excel assumes you have entered data in the maximum allowed column number.
To add another column, Excel would have to delete one of the existing columns. This means that while you can move the columns, attempting to add a new column will result in a warning message indicating that the action cannot be performed.
However, this typically only pertains to dummy data or cell formatting found in all columns rather than genuinely useful data. By clearing the content from any unnecessary columns, you should be able to resolve the issue. However, you will need to save and reopen the file before it works.
Step 1: Open the problematic Excel file and locate the last column containing data that you want to keep.
Step 2: Click on the label of the next column to the right to select it.
Step 3: Press and hold Ctrl+Shift and press the right arrow key on your keyboard. This will select all the columns to the right of the column you chose.
Step 4: Right-click on any of the highlighted columns and choose Delete from the drop-down menu. This will clear all content from these columns.
Step 5: Save the Excel file and close it. Then, reopen the document, and you should now be able to insert a new column into your Excel data table without any issues.
3. Unmerge Rows
Another reason why your Excel file might encounter this error is if you have merged two entire rows. In this case, when attempting to insert a column, Excel won’t have any extra space to work with, as the merged cell occupies the entire width of the spreadsheet. To fix this, unmerge the rows, and you should be able to insert columns again.
Step 1: Highlight the merged rows by clicking on the row number on the left side of the Excel data table that is experiencing the issue.
Step 2: Go to the Home tab on the ribbon and click the Merge & Center button in the Alignment group.
Step 3: Immediately, the cells will be unmerged, and you can insert columns in Excel as usual.
4. Unprotect the Document
If you don’t see the error message “Microsoft Excel cannot insert new cells,” the problem lies elsewhere. Another common reason why you might not be able to insert columns is that the spreadsheet has been protected to prevent any changes from being made to it.
By unprotecting the document again, you should be able to insert columns into your Excel data table normally. If you try to insert a column and notice that most options are grayed out, it is a sign that the spreadsheet is protected. If it is an Excel file that you received from someone else, contact them to obtain the protection password before proceeding.
Step 1: Go to the Home tab on the ribbon in your password-protected Excel file.
Step 2: Click the Format button in the Cells group.
Step 3: From the drop-down menu, select the Unprotect Sheet option.
Step 4: Enter the password when prompted to complete the removal of protection.
Step 5: After your Excel data table is unprotected, try inserting a column again.
5. Allow New Columns in a Protected Excel Spreadsheet
If, for some reason, you want to protect your data table but still want to be able to insert columns, you can modify the spreadsheet protection settings as follows.
Step 1: Go to the Home tab on the ribbon in your password-protected Excel file.
Step 2: Click the Format button in the Cells group.
Step 3: From the drop-down menu, select the Protect Sheet option.
Step 4: In the new window that appears, ensure that the Insert Columns option is selected.
Step 5: Then, enter the protection password in the top field and click the OK button.
Step 6: Confirm the password again and click OK to finish. Now, your Excel data table is protected, but you can still add new columns if needed.
6. Unfreeze Rows and Columns
If you used the Freeze Panes command to freeze rows and columns, it might prevent you from inserting additional columns into your Excel data table. By unfreezing the rows and columns using the Unfreeze Panes command for the data table, you should be able to insert columns in Excel without difficulty.
Step 1: Go to the View menu on the ribbon from Excel’s main interface.
Step 2: Click the Freeze Panes button just below it and select the Unfreeze Panes option from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Save and close the document. The fix may not work if you skip this step. Finally, reopen the document and try inserting Excel columns as usual.
7. Convert Tables to Data Ranges
If you have data tables in your Excel file, this could also cause issues when attempting to insert columns. In this case, you can convert your tables into data ranges, after which you should be able to insert columns in Excel normally.
Although it may seem like Excel is one large data table, many cells in Excel are considered a data range. If you insert a table, that table has specific formatting that differs from the standard range, such as sortable column headers or calculated columns. Inserting columns into a data table will add another column within the table to the next cell, rather than inserting a new column into the data table.
Step 1: Click on any cell within your Excel data table.
Step 2: On the ribbon, go to the Table Design tab on the far right.
Step 3: Click the Convert to Range button in the Tools group.
Step 4: Confirm your decision, and your data table will be converted into a data range.
Step 5: Now, you can insert columns as usual.
Step 6: If you want to insert a new column into the table, right-click on one of the table’s column headers. Then, select Insert >
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