Copying filtered data to an Excel table directly is very slow

Question

Copying filtered data to an Excel table directly is very slow

racaywt 20

Let say I want to copy the data in row 1, 5, 10,15 and 20 (5 rows) of a table in File A to an Excel table in File B. The auto-add-new-row-to-table feature will be triggered 5 times, making the pasting process very slow. Now, imagine it's 50 rows I'm pasting. Can you imagine how many seconds it is going to take? And the worst thing is, once I've press Ctrl+V and the pasting has begun, I cannot cancel it half-way. So while Excel was freezing trying to paste, all I could do was regretting my stupidity of not pasting the copied data to a new workbook first, then copy all the rows from the new workbook as a single section to the destination table, so that auto-add-new-row-to-table feature would only be triggered once.

racaywt 20 Reputation points

2025-08-26T07:12:00.4633333+00:00

Here is an example. I've filtered "AAA" in column 1. Now I want to copy the filtered data to an Excel table. When I paste, instead of detecting I have 5 rows to paste and adding 5 new rows for me in advance, the Excel table will paste data of the row 2 first, adding one new row to the Excel table, then paste the data of row 5, adding another new row to the table, and so on. It will repeat for 5 times in this example since the copied data are divided into 5 sections (row 2, 5, 7, 10, 12).

The only method to avoid triggering the auto-add-new-row-to-table feature multiple times for one single paste is, pasting the filtered data in a new workbook, then copying and pasting the data from the new workbook as a single section.

Can this behavior of Excel table be improved?

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racaywt 20 Reputation points

2025-08-26T07:12:00.4633333+00:00

Here is an example. I've filtered "AAA" in column 1. Now I want to copy the filtered data to an Excel table. When I paste, instead of detecting I have 5 rows to paste and adding 5 new rows for me in advance, the Excel table will paste data of the row 2 first, adding one new row to the Excel table, then paste the data of row 5, adding another new row to the table, and so on. It will repeat for 5 times in this example since the copied data are divided into 5 sections (row 2, 5, 7, 10, 12).

The only method to avoid triggering the auto-add-new-row-to-table feature multiple times for one single paste is, pasting the filtered data in a new workbook, then copying and pasting the data from the new workbook as a single section.

Can this behavior of Excel table be improved?

Answer 1

Hi @racaywt

Good day! Welcome to Q&A forum!

Thank you for your detailed description of the issue you're experiencing with Excel. I understand that while you copy Filtered data and paste, it takes some time to complete the process, which is quite time-consuming and ineffective. However, this copy-paste behavior seems to function normally on my part. Could you please clarify your example with a bit more details? It'd be nice if you can show us a recording of the behavior.

Before anything else, please make sure you're using the latest version of Excel. Go to File > Account > Update Options and select Update Now to check for updates.

Since performance issues can be tricky to diagnose, here are a few basic steps you can try to see if there's any improvement:

Start Excel in Safe Mode Hold down Ctrl while launching Excel to open it in Safe Mode. This helps determine if background programs or add-ins are causing interference.

For reference: Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working - Microsoft Support

Repair Office If a Microsoft 365 app like Word or Excel isn't functioning properly, try restarting it. If the problem persists, consider using the repair option. Afterward, you may need to restart your computer.

For reference: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

Based on your description, I understand that you would like to copy data from rows 2,5,7,19,12 and paste them into a different data cell which is not related to the original table. Could you please clarify if this is what you want to achieve in Excel?

Regarding the auto-add-new-row-to-table feature, the behavior in Excel would be as follows.

When you add data in the cell just below the table (13th cell), the table is automatically expanded. However, if you add the data in the 15th cell, it doesn't expand the table.

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If this is the case, you can achieve this automatic function by navigating to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat as you type > tick all three options. This helps trigger automatic format and avoid expanding the table.

User's image Let me know how it goes and if you have any other concerns. I am happy to help.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Phoebe-N 2,055 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-28T08:10:00.4433333+00:00

Hi @racaywt

Good day! I hope you're doing well!

It has been a while and i am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the reply provided? Please feel free to let me know if there are any updates or if you need any further support.

If you think my reply is helpful to you, please remember to mark it as an answer so others with the same concerns can see it immediately when they need.

Thank you so much for your time and kindness.
Phoebe-N 2,055 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-29T07:49:00.3533333+00:00

Hi @racaywt

I hope this message finds you well.

This is my second follow-up to check whether your issue has been resolved. In case your problem persists or if there are any new issues, please let me know. I am happy to assist.

While waiting for your response, I will continue tracking other customer questions on the forum to ensure everyone receives timely support. If you have additional questions, please feel free to tag my name in your reply so I can assist you promptly.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

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Copying filtered data to an Excel table directly is very slow

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