Can command Advanved Filter do without selecting header(i.e. just process cells)?

[Aquinax]

I'm using the command Advanved Filter to filter out duplicate data entries quite frequently and it pains me to every stipulate the header for a row of data as the program asks to do. Yet sometimes it(Excel) goes about this filtering business without pestering me about its need for a header. And does it without fault (the first row is included in the data to be filtered and is not treated as a header). So I'm asking those more experienced - is it possible to 'tell' the program to never ask me for a header when Advanced Filtering and always treat the first row as a header?

[SamT]

It helps if you use different font formatting in the header.

Different Font name and Style (bold and/or italic,) size, underline.

Number Type = General
Alignment , Horizontal and Vertical = Center

Borders (at least under) the entire header row.

Data Font Style should be "Regular."
Only format the data with data types (number, date, time, currency, text.) No borders, fills

You can use Conditional Formatting of the data, but not the header Row.


First select the entire sheet, (click the square above the Row Numbers, the to left of the Column Letters.
Remove all formatting . (Right click >> Format Cells) >>

Number = General
Alignment = General, Bottom and uncheck all Text Controls
Font = Regular, uncheck all Effects, Underline none, check Normal Font.
Borders = None
Fill = None

Now select each column, Format Cells >> Number and format as to its data type, (number, date, time, currency, text.)

Finally, select the entire header Row (1), Format Cells >> as noted above

[Aquinax]

SamT, first thanks for the broad description of Excel's Advanced filtering tool - I'm sure it'll come in handy in my later work ..

Having said that, I'm terribly sorry to have formulated my finishing question in the post incorrectly. What it meant to say was ".. to 'tell' the program to never ask me for a header when Advanced Filtering and always treat the first row as part of data".

In essence I was asking can the step 'stipulate header' be avoided? Excel did accomplish this (I did not stipulate a header and the first row was not treated as one - I checked and tested it and so I was wondering whether the step of defining header can be skipped/made redundant in the program's options?)

Now if you don't know whether it is possible, you may as well not bother replying/figuring it out as I now see it is just a question of a lazy man that I'm asking .. sorry ..