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Excel - Dr. Fill - Everything You Wanted to Know about Excel's Fill Handle - Episode 429

299 views · Published 24 September 2009 · 1:50 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Excel Fill Handle Tips and Tricks: Extending Series with Ctrl+Drag | MrExcel Netcast.

Welcome to another episode of the MrExcel netcast, where we dive into all things Excel. Today, we're talking about the Fill Handle, a handy tool that can save you time and effort when creating new worksheets from scratch. 

If you've ever found yourself typing out a list of months, days of the week, or even numbers, the Fill Handle is here to make your life easier. Simply type in the first item in the series, select the cell, and then grab the Fill Handle in the lower right-hand corner. Drag it across the cells you want to fill, and Excel will automatically fill in the rest of the series for you. 

But the Fill Handle isn't just limited to basic lists. It's also smart enough to handle more complex series, such as quarters or even today's date. Just use the shortcut Ctrl+; to insert today's date, and then drag the Fill Handle to fill in the following dates. 

However, there is one caveat to using the Fill Handle. If you try to fill in a series of numbers starting with 1, you may end up with a string of ones instead of a numerical sequence. But fear not, there's a simple workaround. Just type in the first two numbers in the series, and then use Ctrl+drag to extend the series. This will give you the desired result without any extra hassle. 

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the MrExcel netcast. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more Excel tips and tricks, and we'll see you next time for another informative episode. Happy Excel-ing!"

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction to the Fill Handle
(00:20) How to use the Fill Handle to create a new worksheet
(00:32) The Fill Handle can fill in months, days, and quarters
(00:53) Using the Fill Handle with today's date
(01:03) Unexpected results when using the Fill Handle with numbers
(01:15) A trick to extend a series using the Fill Handle
(01:31) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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Use the Fill Handle to extend a series. Episode 429 shows you how.

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