Delete Empty or 'Broken' Named Ranges (#REF!)
This macro will delete named ranges which refer to empty or #REF! ranges. This means that if a named range has been 'broken' so that it now says "#REF!" this named range will be deleted from the workbook. This can often happen when deleting a tab with a named range or when importing data from other excel worksheets or workbooks.
Note: When you run this macro, it will delete all emtpy or 'broken' named ranges in the entire excel workbook. It will not ask you if you want specific named ranges deleted. Therefore, make sure you do not accidentally delete something which you really want to be there.
Delete Empty or 'Broken' Named Ranges (#REF!)
Sub Delete_Empty_Named_References()
Dim nName As Name
For Each nName In Names
If InStr(1, nName.RefersTo, "#REF!") > 0 Then
nName.Delete
End If
Next nName
End Sub
How to Install the Macro
- Select and copy the text from within the grey box above.
- Open the Microsoft Excel file in which you would like the Macro to function.
- Press "Alt + F11" - This will open the Visual Basic Editor - Works for all Excel Versions.
Or For other ways to get there, Click Here.
For Excel Versions Prior to Excel 2007
Go to Tools > Macros > Visual Basic Editor
For Excel 2007
Go to Office Button > Excel Options > Popular > Click Show Developer tab in the Ribbon. Then go to the Developer tab on the ribbon menu and on the far left Click Visual Basic
- On the new window that opens up, go to the left side where the vertical pane is located. Locate your Excel file; it will be called VBAProject (YOUR FILE'S NAME HERE) and click this.
- If the Macro goes in a Module, Click Here, otherwise continue to Step 8.
- Go to the menu at the top of the window and click Insert > Module
- Another window should have opened within the Visual Basic Editor's window. Within this new window, paste the macro code. Make sure to paste the code underneath the last line of anything else that is in the window.
- Go to Step 8.
- If the Macro goes in the Workbook or ThisWorkbook, Click Here, otherwise continue to Step 8.
- Directly underneath your excel file called VBAProject(your file's name here), click the Microsoft Excel Objects folder icon to open that drop-down list.
- Then, at the bottom of the list that appears, double-click the ThisWorkbook text.
- A new window inside the Visual Basic Editor's window will appear. In this new window, paste the code for the macro. Make sure to paste this code underneath the last line of any other code which is already in the window.
- Go to Step 8.
- If the Macro goes in the Worksheet Code, Click Here, otherwise continue to Step 8.
- Directly underneath your excel file called VBAProject(your file's name here), click the Microsoft Excel Objects folder icon to open that drop-down list.
- Within the list that appears you will see every worksheet that is in that excel file. They will be listed as such: Sheet1(NAME OF SHEET HERE) and under that will be Sheet2(NAME OF SHEET HERE). Select the sheet in which you want the macro to run and double-click that sheet.
- A new window inside the Visual Basic Editor's window will appear. In this new window, paste the code for the macro. Make sure to paste this code underneath the last line of any other code which is already in the window.
- Repeat steps b and c for every sheet you want the macro to work in. Putting the macro in one sheet will not enable it for any other sheets in the workbook.
- Go to Step 8.
- Close the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor window and save the Excel file. When you close the Visual Basic Editor window, the regular Excel window will not close.
- You are now ready to run the macro.
