Deleting a table in PowerPoint 2013 is a straightforward process that allows you to remove tables that are no longer needed or relevant in your presentation. Here are the key things you need to know about deleting tables in PowerPoint 2013:
Why Delete a Table?
There are a few common reasons you may want or need to delete a table from your PowerPoint presentation:
- The information in the table is outdated or no longer accurate
- The table contains sensitive information you want to remove
- The table is not relevant to your presentation anymore
- You want to simplify the layout and reduce visual clutter
- There are too many tables crowding your slides
Deleting unnecessary or irrelevant tables helps streamline your presentation and draw attention to the most important data and information.
How to Select a Table to Delete
Before deleting a table, you first need to select it:
- Click anywhere inside the table to select it. The table will have a border appear around it when selected properly.
- Alternatively, on the Home tab, go to the Editing group and select Select > Select Table to select the entire table.
Once the table is selected, you can delete it.
Delete an Entire Table
To delete an entire table you no longer need:
- With the table selected, go to the Table Tools Layout tab.
- In the Rows & Columns group, click the Delete drop-down menu.
- Select Delete Table from the options.
The entire table will be removed from the slide, allowing you to declutter your presentation.
Delete Part of a Table
If you only want to delete part of a table, you can remove specific rows, columns or cells rather than the whole table:
- To delete a row or column: Click inside the row or column you want to delete to select the entire row/column. Go to Table Tools Layout > Delete, and pick “Delete Rows” or “Delete Columns”.
- To delete a cell: Click inside the specific cell you want to remove. Press the Delete key to clear the contents but keep the cell, or go to Table Tools Layout > Delete and choose “Delete Cells” to remove the cell completely.
This allows you to customize your table layout further by removing only unnecessary parts.
Alternate Delete Methods
In addition to using the Table Tools Layout tab, there are a couple quick alternate ways to delete tables and parts of tables:
- To delete a table, select it and press the Delete key. Confirm the deletion in the pop-up dialog box.
- To delete table rows or columns, right-click inside the row or column and choose Delete from the context menu. Pick “Delete Rows” or “Delete Columns”.
- To delete cell contents, right-click the cell and choose Delete Cell Contents or select the cell and press Delete. The cell itself will remain.
These context menus provide fast access to delete functions.
Tips for Removing Tables
When deleting tables from your PowerPoint presentations, keep these tips in mind:
- Save a copy first – Before making deletions, save a copy of your original presentation so you can go back if needed.
- Check for links – If other slides are linked to the table, the links will break when you delete it. Check for links first.
- Watch layout spacing – Deleting tables may leave empty white space gaps in your slide layout. Adjust other elements to fill the space.
- Review flow and transitions – Make sure deleting tables does not negatively impact the overall flow and transitions in your slideshow.
Why You May Keep Getting Errors
If you try deleting a table but get an error message that PowerPoint “couldn’t find the linked files”, there are a couple possible reasons:
- The table data may be linked or imported from another file that PowerPoint can no longer locate, such as an Excel spreadsheet. You will need to restore the links.
- Your presentation file may be corrupted. Consider running PowerPoint’s repair utility to check and fix errors.
If errors persist, you may need to delete the slide with the table and re-create your content.
When Deleting Fails
In some cases, you may not be able to delete a table properly:
- The delete options may appear greyed out or inaccessible in the menus.
- Pressing delete with the table selected only deletes the cell contents but not the table itself.
- You delete the table but the border outline strangely stays on the slide.
If normal delete methods don’t seem to work, consider these troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure the table is properly selected first before trying to delete it.
- Check if the table is grouped with other objects. Ungroup first and then delete.
- Try cutting the table instead of deleting, then paste again to remove formatting glitches.
- Insert the table slide into a new presentation and delete it there, then copy your content back over.
Getting stubborn tables to delete fully can take some creative troubleshooting!
Key Takeaways
- Know how to select tables before attempting to delete them.
- Use the Table Tools Layout tab or right-click menus to access delete options.
- You can delete full tables or just parts of tables depending on needs.
- Save copies of presentations before removing tables.
- Troubleshoot errors or failed deletions using the tips provided.
Learning to properly delete tables in PowerPoint 2013 that are outdated, irrelevant, or unnecessary will help you craft presentations that are impactful, concise, and visually appealing. With the techniques outlined above, you’ll have the knowledge to remove PowerPoint tables smoothly and efficiently.
