If you’re looking to optimize your experience with Microsoft Excel, one of the first basic tips you should know is how to turn off Excel Autofill. Excel Autofill is a feature that can make certain data entry tasks much easier and quicker. However, it also has the potential to cause confusion, thus it’s important to know how to turn it off. With a few quick clicks, you can turn off Excel Autofill in no time and take control of your spreadsheets again. To help get you started, we have put together a comprehensive guide on how to turn off Excel Autofill. This Excel-related guide will break down the process in easy steps and provide valuable tips for optimizing your experience with Excel Autofill.
1. How to Disable Autofill in Excel
Disabling autofill in Excel is a simple task. Here are the steps to turn it off:
- Go to the File Menu - Click on the “File” tab at the top left of the Excel window.
- Select Options – Once the File menu has opened, select the “Options” option from the list.
- Choose Advanced – Inside the Options window, select the “Advanced” tab.
- Deselect the Autofill Checkbox - Uncheck the box labeled “Enable fill handle and cell drag-and-drop,” located near the bottom of the window.
- Save and Exit – After making sure the box is unchecked, click the “OK” button to save the settings. The Autofill setting has now been disabled.
Autofill can be a great tool for quickly creating tables with repetitive data, but it can also create confusion when working with large datasets. To ensure accuracy and avoid any potential blunders, disabling autofill in Excel is a good practice.
2. The Benefits of Disabling Autofill
Disabling Autofill Prevents Unintended Results
Autofill has some obvious benefits, but there are definitely times when it fails us. When we want to type a search query quickly, for example, it may pick the wrong autofill suggestion, resulting in unintended results. By disabling autofill, you can ensure that what you type is exactly what you want.
Saves Time and Productivity
When you are working on a project on the computer, the last thing you need is autofill slowing you down. It is time-consuming to have to delete the autofill suggestions to get to what you need. By disabling autofill, you can save time and help increase your productivity.
Additionally, disabling autofill prevents the accidental filling of sensitive information that you might not want shared. This helps to protect your privacy and ensure that only the necessary information is shared.
3. Simple Steps to Turning Off Autofill in Excel
Step One: To turn off Autofill in Excel, open the worksheet that you need to work on. Right-click on a cell in the worksheet, and select the “Format Cells” option.
Step Two: In the “Format Cells” window, select the “Protection” tab. Uncheck the “Locked” box and click “OK” to exit the window.
Step Three: Now, notice the small boxes in the upper left and lower right corners of every cell. Hover the mouse over the boxes and when the cursor changes to a “+” sign, click and drag in the direction of the arrows until there’s no data in the adjacent cells. Releasing the mouse turns off Autofill for this selection in the worksheet.
To make sure Autofill is off for the whole workbook, go to “Tools” and select “Options”. Click on the “Edit” tab and uncheck the box next to “Extend data range formats and formulas” and then click “OK”. Autofill is now successfully turned off in Excel.
4. Doing More with Excel Without Autofill
Using microsoft excel beyond the autofill feature will enable users to more efficiently store, modify and utilize data. Below are four simple methods to get the most out of the program.
- Sort your data. Excel has an in-built tool to sort information according to a range of criteria. By sorting, data is made easier to locate, modify and visualize.
- Create PivotTables. By transforming large datasets into comprehensive summary sheets, PivotTables are an efficient way to review large amounts of data.
- Protect your Work. Excel allows you to password protect and lock data, ensuring it’s safe from unauthorized changes.
- Generate Charts. Charts and graphs are an effective way to quickly communicate relationships between data sets. Excel has a powerful charting feature, allowing you to generate an array of visualizations.
At a more advanced level, the use of Excel can be taken even further with bonuses such as data validation, creating conditional formatting formulas, and the ability to create visual impact with shapes and images.
Q&A
Q. What is Excel Autofill?
A. Excel Autofill is a feature in Microsoft Excel that helps you fill in a series of data quickly. It can save you a lot of time when you are entering similar data over and over.
Q. Why should I turn off Excel Autofill?
A. Sometimes the Autofill feature can be a bit too helpful and make mistakes. It may enter incorrect data. If you turn it off, you can make sure the data you enter is totally accurate.
Q. How do I turn off Excel Autofill?
A. To turn off the Autofill feature in Excel, you just need to right-click on the Excel toolbar and select “Disable Autofill.” You can also select “Options” in the toolbar and turn off the feature there. Once you’ve turned it off, it will stay off until you re-enable it.
Conclusion
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Nicole’s, journey in the tech industry is marked by a passion for learning and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Whether it’s delving into the latest software developments or exploring innovative computing solutions, Nicole’s expertise is evident in her insightful and informative writing style. Her ability to connect with readers through her words makes her a valuable asset in any technical communication endeavor.