- Select the range of cells in which you want to prevent duplicates (for example, B2:B1048576).
- From the Data menu select Validation.
- Click on the Settings tab.
- From the Allow dropdown box select Custom.
- In the formula box type =COUNTIF($B$2:$B$1048576,B2)=1 (see explanation below)
- Click on the Error Alert tab.
- In the Title box type "Duplicate Entry!"
- In the Error Message box type "You cannot enter a value already in the list."
Explanation:
This formula tells Excel to count how many times the data from the current cell is included in the validation range. If the answer is equal to 1 then the formula =COUNTIF($B$2:$B$1048576,B2)=1 is TRUE and everything is OK. However, if the answer is not equal to 1, then the formula is FALSE and an error occurs causing the Error Alert.
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