Answer

Removing duplicates based on one column deletes repeated entries in a specific column while keeping the first unique value and removing all other repeated rows connected to that column. To remove duplicates based on one column in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Select the entire dataset that contains the column with repeated values.

2. Go to the Data tab on the Ribbon.

3. Click Remove Duplicates.

4. Excel displays a dialog box with all column names.

5. Uncheck every column except the column you want to use for duplicate removal.

6. Click OK to apply the change.

7. Excel removes all repeated values in that column and keeps the earliest appearance.

Windows vs. Mac

• Windows uses the Data → Remove Duplicates path with no layout differences.

• Mac uses the same path, though the dialog design differs slightly in spacing and button layout.

How to remove duplicates based on one column, but keep the entire row

The operation always keeps the entire row if the selection includes whole rows.
To ensure this happens, follow these steps:

1. Select the full dataset (not just the column).

2. Go to Data → Remove Duplicates.

3. Check only the target column.

4. Click OK.

Excel evaluates duplicates based on that single column and deletes entire repeated rows.

How to highlight duplicates instead of deleting them

Highlighting duplicates helps review entries before removal.

1. Select the target column.

2. Go to Home → Conditional Formatting.

3. Click Highlight Cells Rules.

4. Choose Duplicate Values.

5. Pick a highlight style.

6. Click OK.

Why removing duplicates based on one column matters

Removing duplicates improves data accuracy and prevents incorrect totals, miscounts, or repeated identifiers.
Data cleaning reports show that duplicated entries affect 12% to 18% of spreadsheet-based datasets in business environments.

Common errors to avoid

1. Selecting only one column when you expect entire rows to be deleted. This action keeps other columns unchanged and can misalign data.

2. Forgetting to back up data before removal.

3. Misidentifying duplicates caused by trailing spaces or lowercase/uppercase differences.

How to remove duplicates based on one column using Advanced Filter

The Advanced Filter extracts unique values instead of deleting duplicates.

1. Select the target column.

2. Go to Data → Advanced under the Sort & Filter group.

3. Choose Copy to another location.

4. Check Unique records only.

5. Select a destination cell.

6. Click OK.

How to remove duplicates in large datasets

Large datasets create performance delays.
To reduce processing time:

1. Convert the data to a Table using Ctrl + T.

2. Use Remove Duplicates, which operates faster in Tables.

3. Disable unnecessary condition formatting.

4. Break extremely large datasets (500k+ rows) into sections.

Key terms for optimization

• Data cleaning

• Unique values

• Deduplication

• Column-based filtering

• Records

• Dataset integrity

• Conditional formatting

• Data accuracy

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