Microsoft Excel, an indispensable tool for businesses and individuals alike, offers a vast range of features to assist users in making their data management tasks simpler and more efficient. One such built-in feature is the automatic generation of new rows and columns when working on a table. While this may prove beneficial for some, others might find it a tad inconvenient, particularly if they desire a fixed table size. If you’ve ever been perplexed by the seemingly endless addition of rows and columns, you’re not alone. But fear not, as Excel does provide avenues to disable this auto-expansion functionality. Whether you’re using the Excel Options, Group Policy Editor, or the Registry Editor, there are definitive steps to cease this automatic creation. This risewindows article offers a detailed walkthrough on how to stop Excel from automatically adding new rows and columns in tables, compatible with Windows 11/10 and other operating systems.
How to Prevent Excel from Automatically Creating New Rows and Columns in Table using Excel Options?
Do these steps to stop Excel from automatically making new rows and columns in a table using Excel Options:-
Step 1. Open Microsoft Excel.
Step 2. Pick the File menu.
Step 3. Select Options in the left sidebar.
Step 4. Switch to the Proofing tab on the Excel Options window.
Step 5. Choose the AutoCorrect Options button under the “AutoCorrect options” section.
Step 6. When you’re done, the AutoCorrect window will open. Switch to the AutoFormat As You Type tab and uncheck the checkbox “Include new rows and columns in table Automatically as you work.”
Step 7. Pick the OK button.
Step 8. Press the OK button again.
How to Stop Excel from Automatically Creating New Rows and Columns in Table through Local Group Policy Editor?
Do these steps to stop Excel from automatically making new rows and columns in a table through Local Group Policy Editor:-
Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor on your Windows 11 or 10 computer.
Step 2. Navigate to the following path in the left sidebar of Local Group Policy Editor:-
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Excel 2016 > Excel Options > Proofing > Autocorrect Options
Step 3. Double-click on the policy name Include new rows and columns in the table on the right side of the “Autocorrect Options” folder.
Step 4. Choose the Disabled option.
Step 5. Click the Apply button.
Step 6. Hit the OK button.
Step 7. Restart your computer to apply the changes.
How to Block Excel from Automatically Creating New Rows and Columns in Table using Registry Editor?
Do these steps to stop Excel from automatically making new rows and columns in a table through Registry Editor:-
Step 1. Open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Navigate to the following path on the left side of Registry Editor:-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0
Step 3. Right-click on the 16.0 folder to choose New > Key.
Step 4. Name the new key excel.
Step 5. Right-click the excel folder to pick New > Key. Name the new key as options.
Step 6. Right-click on the options key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Stop 7. Set its name as autoexpandlistrange.
Step 8. Double-click on the newly created autoexpandlistrange REG_DWORD and set its “Value data” to the following:-
- 0: Allow Excel to create new rows and columns in Table automatically.
- 1: Block Excel from creating new rows and columns in Table automatically.
Step 9. Hit OK.
Step 10. Restart your computer to apply the changes.
Conclusion
Microsoft Excel, with its powerful data management capabilities, has an inbuilt feature that auto-adds rows and columns when working on tables. While useful to some, this feature can be inconvenient for those wanting a static table size. To cater to such requirements, Excel offers multiple ways to disable this functionality. Whether you want to use Excel Options, Local Group Policy Editor, or the Registry Editor, each method ensures that the tables remain of fixed size. This guide has illustrated the procedures for all three methods, making it convenient for users to select their preferred approach.
