XL: AutoFilter List Hides Rows Even After Information Cleared

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you use the AutoFilter feature on a list, and then use the Clear command to remove information from the list, the rows that contained the cleared information may be hidden (even though they no longer contain information that is relevant to the list).

CAUSE

Each time you use the AutoFilter feature, the list that the filter applies to is re-detected. This behavior allows the filter to account for items you may have added to the list. The size of the list can be expanded down and to either side, but it cannot be reduced.

WORKAROUNDS

To work around this behavior, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Remove information from the end of the list by clicking Delete (rather than clear) on the Edit menu.

Method 2

Delete the information, remove, and then reapply the filter.

STATUS

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.

REFERENCES

For more information about filtering a list by using AutoFilter, choose the Search button in Help and type:

   autofilter