Using Undo and Redo

- [Instructor] Any time you want to cancel the last action, or even multiple actions you took when using Excel, you can use a feature called Undo, and it's also got a companion called Redo. And it can be a real lifesaver at times. On this worksheet, called Undo Redo, in our 02 Entering Data file, I wanna get rid of the word Sales here. Now, maybe I don't know that I don't really have to do that, I could type right over it. So, I click Row 2 here with the right mouse button. Now, someone told me I can use the right mouse button 'cause it gives you quick choices here.

I'm gonna delete and I didn't really mean to do that, did I? I meant to delete the word there, the Sales word but not the whole row. So what do I do? The Undo arrow is in your Quick Access Toolbar. It's just to the right of the Save option. And when you point to this, it reminds you of what you just did, in this case, it says Delete. Now this has got a keystroke shortcut, Control Z. I click it, we're back to here. And that keystroke shortcut, by the way, real easy to use. Control and Z are very close to each other on the keyboard. It's really handy at times to do that.

Now at different times, you might want to Undo other actions as well. Now, I'm gonna make a couple of actions here using some commands and features you might not yet have seen, but they're easy to use. I'm going to apply a color right here to these cells using, on the Home tab, this fill color bucket. Often it's yellow, and that's the color I want to use, so I'll just click that bucket icon there. And I want these to be bold. I'll highlight these cells using the mouse there and click B. And later, I decide that's too odd or strange looking.

This time, I'm about to use Undo. Now I have two options. I could press Control Z twice or, just to the right of the Undo arrow is a tiny, little drop arrow. And this reminds me of the last two actions I've taken. Now, the other one is a little vague, it says Format Cells. Now of course, my memory's not that short and neither is yours, that refers to the yellow. So I gotta Undo both of these. Now, meanwhile, what else has happened at the top of the screen? The two actions that I just undid are available in an arrow to the right called Redo.

And notice, it has a shortcut, Control Y. So I'll click the drop arrow here. Now, I could undo both actions or just the most recent ones. A fanciful way of describing Redo, by the way, is to undo the Undo. So I could undo one or both of these. Now, over time as you work with Excel, many times, of course, you catch the mistake almost immediately. But what if you have taken five or six or ten or 20 actions? How far back can you go? You can go back up to 100 steps, believe it or not.

Now, in our arsenal of things that we've done here up top, we have only two, but if there were seven or eight, for example, could you step back in there and Undo your third last or your fifth last? No. You can only Undo consecutive actions and the most recent ones. So we can't be selective about it. But it can be really handy at times. And there could be other occasions where you might try a feature. I'm gonna highlight these cells here. This time, I'll pick a different color off that fill color bucket. It's got a little drop arrow here.

I'll just use orange. Now, maybe I like that, maybe I don't. This time, I'll press Control Z to Undo it. Now, come to think of it, maybe I do like that. I'll press Control Y. Now, in no way are we suggesting you're gonna be wishy washy and go back and forth all the time. But I can press Control Z and Control Y. Sometimes you're trying that to get the effect of what a new chart type looks like. You haven't worked with charts, maybe, just yet, but you can do that as well, too. Or with formulas, sometimes you want to see how something looks, you'll Undo it and then Redo it with Control Z and Control Y.

And one final note: Certain actions, you cannot Undo. For example, on the View tab, some of you have not seen these commands, but if you attempt to create a new window or freeze panes, you cannot Undo these actions. You could certainly change them later. And if you were to try and Insert or Delete a worksheet using commands at the bottom of the screen by right-clicking, these are commands you cannot Undo or Redo. So using either technique, the keystroke shortcuts, Control Z for Undo, Control Y for Redo, you can reconsider some of the actions you've taken and in some cases, of course, prevent some really serious damage to a worksheet.