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How to delete duplicate record from excel once you find them

nkazi01
7 - Meteor

Hi, 

So I understand how to find duplicate record using the unique tool. But once I locate duplicate records how to I get rid of them from my xlsx file? I have one file with 5 tabs, with rows updated daily according to date. I am checking each of those tabs using unique tool. 

IF there are duplicates i want to delete those rows from those tabs. Otherwise leave the tabs as it is. I tried The "overwrite sheet or range" option in the output tool using unique record only, but I have a lot of rows of data and when i try to open the excel file afterwards, excel keeps trying to restore the lost data and everything gets mixed up. 

 

thanks in advance

1 REPLY 1
chukleswk
11 - Bolide

A couple of things / questions.

  • What is creating the spreadsheet that you are trying to remove duplicates from?
    • If it is from a connection that the spreadsheet is connected to, Excel is likely refreshing that data each time you are opening it and it will attempt to restore the lost data every time
  • Why are you not writing out to a new file so as to keep the original data?
    • Something I had learned long ago is that you want to keep all of the data in the original form in case you ever have to recover the original (duplicates and all). This has saved me several times when I had overwritten a database or file and then realized too late what I had done.
    • If the original file is being used in downstream efforts / jobs you can just point them to the new sheet that you're creating.
    • I don't ever recommend to my new analysts or developers to overwrite the input file...I think that's bad practice.
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