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Fix Microsoft Forms Response Summary Including Deleted Excel Rows

Adam Davis Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing data inconsistencies where deleting response rows in a synchronized Excel workbook does not update the Microsoft Forms or Teams summary.

How to Fix Microsoft Forms Response Summary Including Deleted Excel Rows

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to clean up form data by deleting unwanted submissions from the synced Excel file.
Observed behavior: The deleted rows still appear in the Microsoft Forms and Teams response summaries because the original form remains the source of record.

Before you start

Before modifying your form responses, ensure you have the necessary edit permissions in Microsoft Forms and avoid making structural changes directly to the synced Excel workbook.

Solution 1Recommended

Delete Responses in Microsoft Forms and Sync to a New Workbook

Resolve the inconsistency by deleting the unwanted submissions directly from the form, which acts as the primary data source, and then forcing a new sync to Excel.

Because Microsoft Forms is the primary source of truth, deleting rows only in the exported or synced Excel file will not update the Forms summary. You must delete the data directly in the Microsoft Forms interface to ensure all downstream summaries update correctly.

Access Form Responses

Open your form in Microsoft Forms and navigate to the 'Responses' tab to view your data.

View Individual Results

Click on the 'View results' button to browse through individual user submissions.

Delete Unwanted Submissions

Locate the specific response you want to remove, click the menu (three dots) beside the response, and select 'Delete response'.

Sync to a New Workbook

Return to the main Responses tab, click the More options menu (three dots) right next to 'Open in Excel', and choose 'Sync all responses to a new Excel workbook'.

Administrative Assistance: If the summary remains incorrect or fails to update after following these steps, contact your Microsoft 365 administrator to check for backend synchronization issues.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't deleting a row in Excel update my Microsoft Forms summary?

Microsoft Forms acts as the primary source of truth for all collected data. The connected Excel workbook is a one-way downstream sync. Changes or deletions made in Excel do not write back to Microsoft Forms.

Can I recover a deleted response in Microsoft Forms?

No. Once a response is deleted from Microsoft Forms using the 'Delete response' option, it is permanently removed and cannot be recovered. Always verify you are deleting the correct submission.

How do I stop my form from accepting new responses while I clean up data?

To pause new submissions, open your form in Microsoft Forms, click the More settings menu (three dots) in the top right corner, select 'Settings', and uncheck the 'Accept responses' box.

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