Excel AutoFill Default

[jarens]

Excel defaults to filling a series with the autofill. I put 1 in cell a1 and autofill down it goes to 2,3,4,5...
How do I change the default so it stays 1 all the way down?

I know to use CTRL/click/drag to copy.

What I am asking is if the default can be changed so that clicking and dragging produces a copy; CTRL/click/drag produces the series.

Thanks!

 

[arkusM]

Duh! I'm so sorry, I just figured out the answer as soon as I posted this! If I hold down the CTRL key when my mouse cursor is over the fill handle, til I see the little plus sign, then it will copy the cell contents, rather than filling a series. :D

See, I learned something. W00t

 

[drsarao]

See, I learned something. W00t

And so did I!
Thanks.

 

[faben541]

I FOUND IT, you're issue isn't about autofill, it's about autocalculation. if you go to the formula tab and then the calculation button you can change your default option for performing calculation to Automatic from manual

 

[Dr. Logic]

NOPE! Wrong again! NOT ON A DOUBLE CLICK!

You have two columns: First one is the day of the week, second is employee number:

DAY EMP
1 1
2
3
4
5
6
7

If you double click the fill handle on EMPLOYEE 1 because you want to copy 1 all the way down with a double click EXCEL CAN'T DO IT!

Yes, the CTR button will make a plus sign appear but excel will still default to a series because of the data in the ajacent cell. It's stupid. I run into it ALL THE TIME and it does cause problems for those of us that are copying ONE contract numbers or ONE employee numbers or ONE account numbers to a long list of products that are sorted in order.

IT JUST DON'T WORK!

Excel always defaults to SERIES and I have not found any way to make a double click default to COPY. It only offers the copy option AFTER it has already pated a series!

It will do it after a DRAG but when you have THOUSANDS of products that's just not practical so you must always accept a series after a double click, and then hit the format button again and then pick copy AFTER the series is already pasted, and then it changes the data to copy. It's a pain in the a....

 

[jbaxter]

i think it's a matter of how the cells are formatted. If formatted as a date or a number it will default to fill series. If formatted as general, it will default to fill copy. Does this work for anyone? Feedback please...

 

[doogymon]

I'm not a computer person and this may not be related or applicable. Using Excel to sort data like in a relationship database. If I want to send the data from the top cell in a coloumn to the bottom cell. I highlight the top cell (with desired data) and then dblclik the handle bottom right of that same cell. The data will be copied in all cells from top to bottom.
Here's teh clincher: If teh coloumn is on the far right (outbaord), teh copying gets halted or doesn't work. If I insert a new coloumn inboard
i.e. I have populated coloumns to the left and right of this new blank coloumn. The dang thing works. Can anybody explain that to me?

Thanks

 

[tony1125]

i think it's a matter of how the cells are formatted. If formatted as a date or a number it will default to fill series. If formatted as general, it will default to fill copy. Does this work for anyone? Feedback please...

NOPE. That doesn't work either.
The CTL + drag does work for short fill-ins of Copy, but that is impractical for fills of 100's to 1000's of cells or for dozens and dozens of copy/fills. The DblClk is really what we all want.

I have a vague memory of doing just this reset to plain copy in an earlier version of excel (2003?). Maybe i'm having a senior moment or wishful thinking. More likely that MS just wants us to buy the 2014 edition!

 

[tony1125]

As another parting shot at MS, why oh why would that programming designer make the default in a dropdown list to be the SECOND item???

 

[Dr. Logic]

After you double click the little black square that makes the series (default) appear just hit the CONTROL + D keys and the whole series will magically turn from a series to a copy paste. That's about the easiest way to get around the BAD way that Microsoft designed this feature so you don't need to go back and point and click with mouse movements again (which is what wastes the time).

 

[tony1125]

After you double click the little black square that makes the series (default) appear just hit the CONTROL + D keys and the whole series will magically turn from a series to a copy paste. That's about the easiest way to get around the BAD way that Microsoft designed this feature so you don't need to go back and point and click with mouse movements again (which is what wastes the time).

OK. So if I want to fill a SERIES I just DblClk.
If I want to fill with a COPY, there is NO NO NO way to reset the default and Just do a DblClk. SOL.