Resetting the Used Range in Excel

The Used Range goes down to the intersection of the last used row and across to the last used column.

To see where the Used Range ends press Ctrl + End.

The cell selected may be empty.

If this is further down the sheet that you expected you can reset the Used Range.

Sometimes Excel thinks you have used the whole column, and the Used Range includes the last possible row.

Normally resetting the Used Range requires deleting the rows from the bottom of the data to the bottom of the sheet and then saving the file.

Using Ctrl + – (minus) deletes the selected rows.

I recently had a file that someone sent through where this technique didn’t work. After a quick Google search, I found an extra step that made no sense but did make it work.

After selecting all the rows at the bottom – change the row height – then delete the rows and for some reason this works.  Doesn’t make sense, but it does work.