How to Delete an Embedded Chart in Excel
By Adrian Grahams
With the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program, you can transform dull-looking data in a workbook by turning it into a chart or graph. After you’ve created the chart in your workbook, Excel embeds the chart in the document. Remove an embedded Excel chart by erasing the chart object or by deleting the chart sheet that contains the workbook data used to create the chart.
Delete an Excel Chart Object
Step 1
Launch Microsoft Excel. Click the “File” tab followed by “Open” and open the workbook document that contains the embedded chart.
Step 2
Click the chart object to select and highlight the item. After it is highlighted, Excel displays a box around the chart with “handle” dots around the edge of the box.
Step 3
Press the “Delete” or “Del” key on your computer keyboard to delete the embedded chart.
Delete an Excel Chart Sheet
Step 1
Highlight the chart sheet in the Excel workbook document.
Step 2
Click the “Home” tab on the main menu ribbon across the top of the document.
Step 3
Click the down-arrow icon in the “Delete” section of the “Cells” group. Select “Delete Sheet” from the pull-down options list.
Step 4
Click “OK” in the confirmation dialog box. Excel deletes the chart sheet and the chart object.
References
Tips
- Deleting the chart object without also deleting the chart sheet allows you to create a new chart or graph from the sheet data. Only delete sheet data if you don’t need this information to create another embedded object in Excel.
Writer Bio
Adrian Grahams began writing professionally in 1989 after training as a newspaper reporter. His work has been published online and in various newspapers, including "The Cornish Times" and "The Sunday Independent." Grahams specializes in technology and communications. He holds a Bachelor of Science, postgraduate diplomas in journalism and website design and is studying for an MBA.