Lessons

Resources

Questions?

Please feel free to post your questions or comments below. If you have questions about a specific lesson, please specify the lesson number and the time index in the lesson where the issue occurs. Thank you!

Subscribe for Updates

If you would like to be notified whenever changes are made to this page, new lessons are posted, or comments are made, click on the subscribe button.

Subscribe to Excel 2007 Beginner 2
Get notifications when this page is updated

Intro

In lesson 2 of the Microsoft Excel 2007 Basic series, you will learn how to use cut, copy, and paste functions, work with AutoFill, apply different cell formats, insert and delete rows and columns, manage worksheets, sort data, use conditional formatting, and find and replace data. This class is designed for beginners who have completed Basic Level 1 and want to build on their skills with practical, step-by-step examples in Microsoft Excel 2007.

Transcript

Welcome to Excel 2007, Basic Level 2, brought to you by ExcelLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost. Today's class will cover cut, copy, and paste using AutoFill, cell formats, inserting and deleting rows and columns, working with sheets, sorting data, conditional formatting, and using Find and Replace.

This lesson uses Microsoft Office Excel 2007. If you are using an older version of Excel, you should visit my website and look for my Excel 2003 series. This class follows Excel 2007, Basic Level 1. If you have not yet taken Basic Level 1, I strongly recommend you take that class before this one.

Basic Level 1 covers the Excel interface, the ribbon, entering and editing data, formatting data, basic math formulas, saving, loading, and printing your spreadsheets. This is the Basic Level 2 course for Microsoft Excel 2007. This class is for the novice user who has little or no experience with Excel beyond my Level 1 class.

Our courses are broken up into four groups: Basic, Expert, Advanced, and Developer. Our Basic courses are designed for novice users who have little or no experience with Microsoft Excel. You will learn one good method for accomplishing most tasks. We will save all the extraneous details for later classes.

Our Expert series is designed for users who are already comfortable with Excel. Expert classes will teach you more about the standard features of Excel that most people use from day to day. We will cover all the options, alternatives, shortcuts, tips and tricks, and really cover all of the features of Excel thoroughly.

Our Advanced classes are designed to go beyond the expert level and teach you things like recording macros, working with user forms, creating your own templates, and more advanced features that not everyone uses, but they really add extra functionality to your spreadsheets. These are the kinds of features reserved for power users to really add extra professionalism to your spreadsheets.

Finally, our Developer series is designed to teach you how to program in Visual Basic for Applications with Microsoft Excel. This will allow you to create Excel-based programs for your users and to integrate Excel tightly with other applications.

Each of our series is broken down into different levels. Each level represents about an hour's worth of training. For example, the Basic series starts off with Level 1, then is followed by Level 2, 3, and so on. Each level will teach you new and different topics in Microsoft Excel, building on the lessons learned in the previous levels. When you are finished with all the levels in the Basic series, you are ready to move up to the Expert level series.

Now let's take a more detailed look at exactly what is covered in today's class.

In lesson 1, we are going to learn about the clipboard and cut, copy, and paste. In lesson 2, we are going to learn how to use AutoFill to quickly copy and paste a formula across multiple rows or columns.

In lesson 3, we are going to start taking a look at different cell formats: text, number, currency, accounting, and long and short dates.

In lesson 4, we are continuing our work with different cell formats. We will learn about fractions, percents, increasing and decreasing decimal points, the comma style, and scientific notation.

In lesson 5, we will learn about rows and columns, specifically how to insert and delete rows and columns, and how that is different from just clearing their contents.

In lesson 6, we are going to learn how to sort data in our spreadsheets.

In lesson 8, we are going to learn about conditional formatting, which is changing the format of your cells based on the data in the cells; for example, changing the color for high numbers.

In lesson 9, we are going to learn how to find and replace data in our cells.

If you need help with Microsoft Excel, you can post your questions in our student forums. If you are watching this course using our custom video player software or online in our theater, then you should see the student forums pop up right next to the video window. Here you will see all the questions and comments that other students have had regarding each lesson, as well as my responses to them. Feel free to join in the discussion and post any questions that you might have.

To get the most out of this course, I recommend you sit back, relax, and watch each lesson through completely once, without trying to do anything on your computer. Then watch the lesson again a second time, following along with my examples. Actually create the document that I create in class. Build the spreadsheet along with me, step by step.

If you get stuck or do not understand something, re-watch the video again from the beginning or rewind to any point in the video at which you feel comfortable. Remember, you can always post your questions in the student forums if you really need help.

Most importantly, keep an open mind. Learning something new can be confusing at first. If there is something you do not understand at first, just be patient and it will come to you eventually. Try your best and again, if you still have questions, post them in our student forums.

Now just sit back and relax and get ready for lesson one.

Quiz

Q1. Which of the following topics is NOT covered in this Excel 2007 Basic Level 2 class?
A. Entering and editing data
B. Using AutoFill
C. Conditional formatting
D. Sorting data

Q2. If you have NOT completed Basic Level 1, what does the instructor recommend you do before taking this course?
A. Skip to the Advanced course
B. Take Basic Level 1 first
C. Start with Developer courses
D. Take Expert Level 1

Q3. What is the main audience for the Basic Level 2 Excel course?
A. Expert programmers
B. Novice users with little or no previous Excel experience beyond Level 1
C. Advanced Excel users
D. Business analysts

Q4. In which course series would you learn about programming Excel with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)?
A. Basic
B. Expert
C. Advanced
D. Developer

Q5. What does lesson 1 of this course focus on?
A. Sorting data
B. Using Find and Replace
C. Clipboard and cut, copy, and paste
D. Conditional formatting

Q6. Which of these is covered in lesson 3 and lesson 4 of the course?
A. Using macros
B. Customizing the Ribbon
C. Different cell formats such as text, number, currency, and percents
D. Inserting charts

Q7. What is the difference between inserting/deleting rows and columns and clearing their contents?
A. There is no difference
B. Clearing contents removes formatting, inserting/deleting does not
C. Inserting/deleting changes the worksheet structure, clearing only removes data
D. Inserting/deleting only works for rows, not columns

Q8. What should you do if you get stuck or do not understand something during the course?
A. Skip to the next lesson
B. Re-watch the video or rewind to where you feel comfortable
C. Uninstall Excel and try again
D. Contact Microsoft support immediately

Q9. What does the instructor recommend for getting the most out of the course?
A. Watch only the lessons you think you need
B. Build the spreadsheet along with the instructor step by step on the second viewing
C. Complete the course in less than an hour
D. Just read the transcript

Q10. Where can you post questions or participate in discussions about each lesson?
A. A private email group
B. The student forums beside the video window
C. Social media only
D. Nowhere, questions are not allowed

Answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-B; 4-D; 5-C; 6-C; 7-C; 8-B; 9-B; 10-B

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Excel Learning Zone covers Excel 2007, Basic Level 2. In this class, I will guide you through several essential Excel features. We will cover topics such as using cut, copy, and paste, working with AutoFill, understanding different cell formats, inserting and deleting rows and columns, managing sheets, sorting data, applying conditional formatting, and utilizing Find and Replace.

This course uses Microsoft Office Excel 2007. If you happen to be using an older version, like Excel 2003, I recommend you check out my website for the series tailored to that version. This lesson builds upon what was covered in Excel 2007, Basic Level 1, so if you have not already completed Level 1, I would encourage you to do so first. That introductory course explores the Excel interface, the ribbon, how to enter and edit data, basic formatting, simple math formulas, and the processes for saving, loading, and printing your files.

Excel Learning Zone courses are divided into four main series: Basic, Expert, Advanced, and Developer. The Basic series, including this class, are ideal for beginners with little or no prior Excel experience. Here, I show you straightforward ways to achieve your goals, saving more detailed options for later courses.

Once you are comfortable with the basics, the Expert series will take you further. These classes help you master Excel's commonly used features, walk you through all the available options, alternatives, shortcuts, and share tips to help you work more efficiently.

The Advanced series goes beyond what most users need, diving into features like macro recording, user forms, custom templates, and other tools that boost both productivity and professionalism in your spreadsheets.

Finally, the Developer series will train you in Visual Basic for Applications programming with Excel. This will prepare you to create custom Excel programs and integrate Excel with other applications.

Each series is structured into progressive levels, each representing about an hour of training. For example, once you complete all levels of the Basic series, you will be ready to move up to the Expert series. Each level builds upon the last, so you gain knowledge step by step in a logical order.

Let me give you a brief overview of what we will cover today:

In lesson 1, you will learn how to work with the clipboard as well as how to use the cut, copy, and paste functions.
Lesson 2 introduces AutoFill, which lets you quickly copy and paste formulas over multiple rows or columns.
Lesson 3 focuses on cell formats. We will look at how to handle text, numbers, currency, accounting formats, and both long and short date styles.
Lesson 4 continues with more formatting options, including fractions, percentages, decimal adjustments, the comma style, and scientific notation.
Lesson 5 shows you how to manage rows and columns by inserting and deleting them. You will see how this differs from simply clearing the contents.
Lesson 6 covers sorting data within your spreadsheet.
Lesson 8 will teach you about conditional formatting, allowing you to change a cell's appearance automatically based on its contents. For example, you might highlight high numbers in a different color.
Lesson 9 will cover how to find and replace data in your cells efficiently.

If you need help understanding any Excel feature, you can always post your questions in our student forums. When you use our custom video player or watch in our online theater, you will see the forum displayed alongside the video. There, you can read questions and comments from other students as well as my responses, and you are welcome to add your own questions to the discussion.

To get the most value from this course, I suggest you first watch each lesson from start to finish without using your computer. Then, go back and watch the lesson again while you follow along creating the document with me step by step. If you run into difficulty or have questions, you can review the lesson as many times as you need or post your questions in the forums.

The learning process can sometimes be challenging, so try to be patient with yourself. It is normal not to understand everything immediately. Stay engaged, keep trying, and ask questions if you need help.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Using cut, copy, and paste in Excel
Working with the clipboard
Using AutoFill to copy formulas
Applying text and number cell formats
Formatting cells as currency and accounting
Formatting long and short dates
Using fractions and percent cell formats
Adjusting decimal points in cell formatting
Applying comma style and scientific notation
Inserting and deleting rows and columns
Clearing contents versus deleting rows and columns
Sorting data in spreadsheets
Applying conditional formatting to cells
Using Find and Replace in Excel