How to select every nth column in Excel?

For example, you have a large worksheet with hundreds of columns of data. And now, you need to copy every 3rd column data and paste them to another new worksheet. It will be time-consuming to select every nth column one by one, and is there any easy way to do it?

Select every nth column with VBA

Select every nth column with Kutools for Excel

Select every nth column with VBA

It seems no simple way except VBA code to solve this problem. Please do as the following steps:

1. Highlight the range that you want to select every nth column.

2.Click Developer > Visual Basic or press Alt+F11, a new Microsoft Visual Basic for applications window will be displayed, click Insert > Module to input the following code into the Module:

Sub EveryOtherColumn()
'Updateby20140314
Dim rng As Range
Dim InputRng As Range
Dim OutRng As Range
Dim xInterval As Integer
xTitleId = "KutoolsforExcel"
Set InputRng = Application.Selection
Set InputRng = Application.InputBox("Range :", xTitleId, InputRng.Address, Type:=8)
xInterval = Application.InputBox("Enter column interval", xTitleId, Type:=1)
For i = 1 To InputRng.Columns.Count Step xInterval + 1
    Set rng = InputRng.Cells(1, i)
    If OutRng Is Nothing Then
        Set OutRng = rng
    Else
        Set OutRng = Application.Union(OutRng, rng)
    End If
Next
OutRng.EntireColumn.Select
End Sub

3. Then click  button to run the code, and a prompt box will pop out to remind you to select a range to work with. See screenshot:

4. Click OK, and then enter the number of intervals in the another pop out dialog. In this case, enter 3 in the box. See screenshot:

5. Click OK. Now it selects every 3rd column in the selection. See screenshot:

Note: You can specify the number in the second KutoolsforExcel dialog to meet your need.

But sometimes, you need to select two columns with two intervals. The above code can not work, how should you do?

Select every nth column with Kutools for Excel

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With Kutools for Excel, you can select specific number of columns at specific intervals. Please do as the following steps:

1.Click Kutools > Select > Select Interval Rows/Columns.

2. A Select Interval Rows/Columns dialog box will appear. Then click button to select the range you need, choose Columns from Select section, and specify the number you want in the Interval of and Columns dropdown list, here we select two columns in every 3td columns. See screenshot:

3.Click OK. It will select two columns with two intervals in the selection. See screenshot:

Note: If you check Select entire columns in the popup dialog, it will select the entire columns in the sheet. See screenshot:

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• Select every other or nth row in Excel
• Copy every other row
• Delete every other row
• Hide every other row