Excel Not Removing Duplicates – Know How to Fix It

Duplicate entries are one of the typical problems that arise in Excel, particularly while working on client information, accounting information, stock information, or any Excel sheet downloaded from the Internet. However, many users face a situation in which the Excel duplicates do not get removed even by using the remove duplicates facility available in Excel.

If you ever find yourself asking why Excel not removing duplicates, there can be some reason such as extra spaces, different formats, formulas, merged cells, or incorrect data selection. The appropriate method will solve all your problems. In this comprehensive guide, we will learn about some reasons for Excel duplicates and different ways to solve them.

Why Excel is Not Removing Duplicates? Common Reasons Explained

Before going to the solutions, it is important for users to know why Excel not removing duplicates error arises. In this section, we have given all the possible reasons behind this issue. The common causes include:

• Leading and Trailing Spaces: The leading or trailing spaces are not visible, but they can be detected by Excel.
• Different Format: Duplicates that look identical can sometimes have different formats, like one e-value being stored as a date and another being stored as text. This means that Excel cannot detect them as duplicates.
• Cells with Formulas: The formulas contained within the cells can be different even when the values displayed within the cells are the same. This creates problems in detecting duplicates.
• Number as Text: A number can be stored in one cell as a number while being stored in another as text. This causes a problem with Excel recognizing it as a duplicate because Excel differentiates between numbers and text.
• Hidden Characters: The data extracted from websites or databases can have hidden characters that make the number unique without being visible.

Therefore, after discussing these causes, let’s now move to the solutions part.

Explore more: Know how to find duplicates in Excel with multiple columns in this detailed article.

Method 1: Check Hidden Spaces When Excel Not Removing Duplicates

Before applying the TRIM function, it is important to check whether your data contains hidden leading or trailing spaces, as these are a common reason behind Excel not deleting.

The steps are as follows:

1. Firstly, insert a new column

• Then, use the formula:
  

=TRIM(A2)

1. After that, press Enter
2. Now, drag the formula downward
3. Then, copy the cleaned data
4. Next, paste it as Values
5. At last, run remove duplicates again

Method 2: Convert Number Stored as Text

The other reason for Excel not removing duplicates is inconsistent data types.

The steps to fix it are as follows:

1. First, you need to select the column
2. Then, click on the warning icon
3. After that, choose the convert to number value

Steps of This Professional Tool

1. Install and run the software on your desktop.
2. Then, tap on the Add file or Add folder to import Excel files containing duplicates.
3. Next, choose the Dual Duplication Removal option while facing Excel not removing duplicates.
4. After this, select the Delete Duplicates Permanently or Export it in a separate file option.
5. Next, choose the Remove Duplication Based on option.
6. Now, select the destination path to save the cleaned Excel file.
7. At last, tap on the Remove Duplicates button to begin the process to fix Excel not removing duplicates issue.

Method 4: Delete Hidden Characters Using Clean Function Feature

Another cause for Excel not removing duplicates is the existence of hidden non-printing characters in the cells. The clean function is applied to remove those unnecessary characters. The clean function will help you in the removal process.

Use:

=CLEAN(A2)

If needed, combine it with:

=TRIM(CLEAN(A2))

Method 5: Check the Cell Formatting Feature

Values stored in different formats, such as text, numbers, or dates, can confuse Excel’s duplicate detection feature. Applying consistent formatting helps to resolve the issue of Excel not removing duplicates more effectively by using the steps given below:

1. Choose the data
2. Then press Ctrl + 1
3. Now, apply consistent formatting
4. After that, convert the formulas to values if necessary
5. At last, retry to remove duplicates

Method 6: Remove Formula Differences

The cells with different formulas can display the same result but it still can cause issues during duplicate detection. So converting formulas into static values helps Excel to compare the actual data and remove duplicate entries accurately. The steps are:

1. Firstly, copy the formula column
2. Then, right – click
3. Now, paste special > Values
4. At last, remove duplicates again

Excel Not Removing Duplicates? Manual VS Automated Comparison

Below, we have provided you with a comparison table highlighting both manual and automated solutions. This will help you choose the right approach

Summing Up!

In this article, we have mentioned several ways to resolve Excel not removing duplicates efficiently. By following the methods given above, you can resolve most duplicate removal issues and ensure your data is cleaned accurately. Also, if you are working with large Excel workbooks, using the above-mentioned professional solution will be helpful for you.