excel won't sort the first row in a set of selected rows

Question

Hi,

I'd like to sort some data in an excel spreadsheet alphabetically, according to the content of the second column.

Specifically I have a sheet with stuff from A1 to N29, and I'd like to sort rows 2 to 27 according to column 2

Row 1 (the header), 28 and 29 should stay where they are.

I tried  selecting column rows 2:27 and hit "sort". Excel asks me whether I want to expand my selection, and I say yes.

Then excel does the ordering, but row 2 stays where it is, despite it should not.

I thought excel believed that row 2 is the heades. However I also tried selecting rows 1:27, and the result is the same. Neither row 1 (which I like) nor row 2 (which I do not like) move.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks a lot for any insight

Francesco

Answer 1

Hi Bob,

 thanks for your time. I tried what you suggest, but the weird behavior persists.

Your confusion is probably my fault. So, here's my situation in detail

• the cells in column B contain either a "C" or a "D".
• Originally they are in a random order (the ordering is dictated by column A).
• In that situation B2 happens to contain a D.
• I want to sort the worksheet so that the C's and the D's are bunched together, therefore I sort alphabetically according to column B.

If I do "A to Z", rows 3:27 are sorted as I ask (all the C's, then all the D's), but row 2 stays there, despite it should be below all the C's.

If I do "Z to A" the sorting of course appears to be correct (row 2 does not move, but the result is ok because it has a D). I could be happy with that, but the fact that I cannot sort the first row of my selection as I like kind of bothers me.

No, I correct myself, it's not a matter of "first row in the selection", because if the selection does not contain row 2 everything works fine. It is as if row 2 has something preventing ordering.

For instance I tried changing one of the C's with a Z. In that case also "Z to A" fails, because row 2, which has a D, is above the row with the Z.