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Protect Excel Worksheets

Excel

General Protection

Before explaining how Excel file protection works, it’s important to note that these passwords can be cracked.

Therefore, use Excel’s protection features mainly to prevent accidental changes rather than for full security.

For example, if Excel is used to create a quotation that includes hidden and protected cells for calculations, make sure to send the quotation as a PDF.

Protecting Excel from changes 02

In Excel, you can protect individual worksheets or the entire workbook (Excel file).

Protecting a Worksheet in Excel

To protect a worksheet (a tab in Excel), follow the steps below:

  • Select the worksheet by clicking any cell within it
  • Go to the Review tab Excel Review tab
  • In the Changes group, choose Protect Sheet Protect sheet from changes
  • Excel displays a dialog box where you can specify the level of protection
  • If a user should not be allowed to do anything, uncheck all boxes. If the user should only view the document, consider sending it as a PDF
  • Enter a password to prevent unauthorized changes to the protection settings. You may also choose to leave the password field empty Protecting Excel from changes 02
  • For confirmation, Excel will ask you to re-enter the password

Using Excel as a Form

Excel can also be used as a form. In that case, you don’t want to protect all cells—only the ones containing formulas or calculations. In Excel, you can specify for each cell whether it should be locked when the worksheet is protected.

An Example to Illustrate This

  • Download the sample file
  • In this example, only the exchange rate can be modified. The prices in Euros are automatically calculated
    VB 10112 Excel Protection
  • So when protecting the worksheet, make sure to:
    Select the cell that should remain editable
  • Right-click the selected cell and choose Format Cells (CTRL+1)
  • Go to the Protection tab
    VB 10112 Excel Protection 02
  • Uncheck Locked so that this cell remains editable when the sheet is protected
  • When protecting the sheet, make sure the option Select unlocked cells is enabled
  • Protect the worksheet and verify that only the specified cell (the exchange rate) is editable

Protecting an Excel Workbook

Follow the steps below:

  • To protect an entire Excel workbook
  • Go to the Review tab
  • In the Changes group, select Protect Workbook
  • Choose Protect structure and windows
  • Select the option Protect Workbook for: Structure and Windows
  • Enter a password (optional)
  • If a password is entered, Excel will ask you to confirm it
  • Click OK to apply the protection