Data Import & Export

How to Fix Microsoft Forms Excel Exports Including Deleted Responses

Anum Mushtaq Oct 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are finding that previously deleted responses in Microsoft Forms are still present when the form data is exported or downloaded to an Excel spreadsheet.

How to Fix Microsoft Forms Excel Exports Including Deleted Responses

Product: Microsoft Forms and Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Exporting form response data to Excel after attempting to delete some or all of the existing response entries.
Observed behavior: The downloaded Excel export continues to display deleted response rows because the deletion did not fully process or the records remain cached within the Forms API.

Before you start

Ensure you are logged in with the appropriate form ownership permissions, and consider backing up your current Excel export before making API requests that permanently modify form data.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Deletion via the Microsoft Forms Interface

Before attempting advanced fixes, verify that the responses were correctly and fully deleted from the front-end user interface.

Sometimes an interrupted internet connection or a browser glitch can prevent the deletion command from successfully reaching the Microsoft Forms server. Double-checking the front-end ensures you aren't dealing with a simple UI error.

Open form responses

Log into Microsoft Forms, open the affected form, and navigate to the 'Responses' tab located at the top of the screen.

Delete responses

Click the 'More options' icon (three dots) on the right side and select 'Delete all responses', or click into 'View results' to delete specific individual entries.

Re-export the data

Once the interface confirms the responses are gone, click 'Open in Excel' to download a fresh spreadsheet and check if the phantom data has been removed.

Verify Deletion via the Microsoft Forms Interface

Solution 2

Clear Phantom Responses Using the Forms API

If responses persist in the Excel export despite being removed from the UI, use the Microsoft Forms API to manually identify and delete the lingering records.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Clean Up Exported Form Data Easily with WPS Office

If Microsoft Forms API syncing issues are too technical to troubleshoot, you can easily filter and delete the leftover data manually. WPS Spreadsheet offers a completely free, fast, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Excel for all your data cleanup needs.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite on your device.
2. Open the exported file: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the .xlsx file you downloaded from Microsoft Forms.
3. Remove deleted rows manually: Highlight the rows containing the old responses, right-click, and select 'Delete' to instantly clean up your dataset.

Seamlessly opens and edits Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats exported from FormsLightweight application that instantly loads large data exports without laggingIntuitive filtering and sorting tools to quickly highlight and delete phantom responsesFamiliar interface that makes transitioning from Microsoft Office completely effortless

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't the Excel export update immediately after I delete a response in Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms occasionally experiences cache or syncing delays between its front-end interface and the database that generates the Excel file. It can take some time for backend API records to drop the deleted data entirely.

Is there a way to generate a completely fresh Excel workbook for my form?

Yes. In the Microsoft Forms 'Responses' tab, click the 'More options' (three dots) menu and select 'Sync all responses to a new workbook'. This forces the system to generate a brand-new file, which often leaves behind corrupted or deleted phantom records.

Can I just delete the unwanted rows directly in my downloaded spreadsheet?

Absolutely. If dealing with the Forms API is too complex, downloading the data and manually deleting the rows using a program like WPS Spreadsheet or Microsoft Excel is a fast and perfectly viable workaround.

Excel & Data Problems