Google-sheets – Grouping Columns in Google Spreadsheets

Now Google Drive has a feature called “filter views”. It makes some filters available only to you while you don't change any data.

Use filter views in the new Google Sheets

In Google Sheets, filtering your data makes it easier for you to view and analyse data by letting you hide data that you want to temporarily take out of view. The new Google Sheets introduces filter views as well, which allow you to create, name, and save filters that you can use without disrupting how others are viewing your spreadsheet.

Creating a filter view

When you create a filter view, it’s like saving a filter that you can use over and over again.

1. Open the spreadsheet where you would like to create a filter view.
2. Click the Data menu, hover over “Filter views…” and select Create a new filter view. You can also click the down arrow to the right of the filter icon and select Create a new filter view.
3. Using the down arrows in the column headers, sort and filter the data to fit your desired view. Your filter view will be saved as you make changes.
4. To close your new filter view, either click the X in the top-right corner of the spreadsheet or click the down arrow to the right of the filter icon and select None.

(Note: If you had existing shared filter on columns first remove that.)

Source.

I am going to guess from the presence of an ID field and from the error message that your sheet is linked to a form.

Duplicate the sheet and perform the desired operations on the duplicate.

Spreadsheets containing form responses don’t currently allow for filtering, column shifting, or other such changes. The reason for these restrictions is that changes like filtering the main spreadsheet’s data will actually disrupt its ability to accept form responses properly.

These restrictions exist whenever you have linked your spreadsheet to a form. If you’d like to sort your data, you can always duplicate or copy your sheet by clicking on the sheet tab and selecting “Duplicate.” This duplicate sheet will contain all of your form data and will allow you to sort and filter as you wish.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google%20Docs/thread?tid=540148364a65c6fc