How do I protect my worksheet data?
	How do I protect the formatting of a cell?
	How do I protect the formatting of the objects on my worksheet?
	How do I protect the scenarios on my worksheet?
	How do I protect my worksheet?
	How do I protect a file?
	Can I protect my windows or workbook structures?
	How can I protect my worksheet so that it cannot be changed?

How do I protect my worksheet data?
Keywords: Protect Worksheet Data
Posted August 15, 1996

After diligently creating and editing worksheet formulas or formatting, you will want to protect your work so that it cannot be accidentally deleted or copied over. Excel offers a protection feature that allows you to prevent changes made from a single cell to an entire worksheet. (For specific instruction on protection of cells, objects, scenarios, worksheets, and files, see additional FAQs in this section.)

To protect cells, objects, and scenarios:

1. Set up the protection formatting using one of the following options:
2. • Cells, objects, and scenarios can be locked or unlocked. Turning on the protection will lock an item so that it cannot be changed, deleted, moved, or copied over.
   • Cell formulas and scenarios can be hidden or visible. Turning on the protection will prevent a hidden formula from appearing in the formula bar when selected; a hidden scenario does not appear in the Scenario Manager dialog box.
   • Text boxes, macro buttons, and some worksheet dialog box controls can also have locked text which prevents the text they contain from being altered.
3. Turn on the worksheet protection.

How do I protect the formatting of a cell?
Keywords: Protect Cell Formatting
Posted August 15, 1996

You might want to protect your worksheet from the possibility of inadvertently changing, deleting, or copying over important data. Generally, all worksheet cells are formatted as locked and visible. There are three options when protecting formatting:

• To protect every cell, leave the formatting as it is and turn on the worksheet protection
• To unlock only certain cells, select the appropriate cells and unlock them before protecting the worksheet; to hide only certain cells, select and hide them
• To lock only certain cells, select all the cells and unlock them. Then select only the cells you want protected and lock them. To keep only selected formulas visible, hide all the formulas and then make only the appropriate range visible.

To protect the formatting of worksheet cells:

1. Select the appropriate cells you want to protect
2. From the menu bar, choose Format - Cells and select the Protection tab
3. To lock the cells' contents click on Locked; to unlock the cells' contents deactivate this box
4. To hide the cells' formulas click on Hidden check box; to make the formulas visible deactivate this box

How do I protect the formatting of the objects on my worksheet?
Keywords: Protect Objects Formatting
Posted August 15, 1996

By default, Excel locks all objects, text, macro buttons, and dialog box controls on your worksheet. There may be times when you need an object unlocked. There are three options involved in this process:

• To protect every object on the worksheet, leave the formatting as it is and turn on the worksheet protection
• To unlock only certain objects, select the appropriate objects and unlock them before turning on the worksheet protection
• To lock only certain objects, select all the objects and unlock them. Then select only the objects you want protected and lock them

NOTE: To select all the objects in a sheet, from the menu bar choose Edit - Go To. Click on the Special button and activate the Objects option.

To protect the formatting of worksheet objects:

1. Select the appropriate objects
2. From the menu bar choose Format - Object and select the Protection tab
3. To lock the objects, activate the Locked check box; to unlock deactivate the box
4. For text boxes or macro buttons, activate the Lock Text check box to protect the text; or deactivate this box to unlock the text
5. Select OK

How do I protect the scenarios on my worksheet?
Keywords: Protect Scenarios Worksheet
Posted August 15, 1996

As with cells, scenarios are locked and visible by default. You must work with scenarios individually and therefore must set up their protection formatting separately. The steps to accomplish this are:

1. From the menu bar choose Tools - Scenarios
2. Highlight the scenario in the Scenarios list, and click the Edit button. The edit Scenario dialog box will appear
3. To lock the scenario, activate the Prevent Changes check box; to unlock it deactivate this box
4. To hide the scenario, activate the Hide check box; to unhide it deactivate this box
5. Select OK; Excel will display the Scenario Values dialog box
6. Enter the new values if needed and click OK
7. If additional scenarios need protection, repeat steps 2 through 6
8. When finished, select Close to return to the worksheet

How do I protect my worksheet?
Keywords: Protect Worksheet Formatting
Posted August 15, 1996

After formatting the cells, objects, or scenarios for protection, your worksheet now needs to be protected. Simply follow the following steps:

1. From the menu bar, choose Tools - Protection - Protect Sheet
2. For added security, you may wish to enter a password; this would prevent another user from turning off the protection without first entering the password. If you choose this option, consider the following:
3. • When you enter the password, Excel masks it with asterisks and will then ask you to confirm it
   • Passwords can be up to 255 characters in length and can be any combination of letters, numbers, spaces, and other symbols
   • Use a password that is meaningful to you so that it will be easy to remember. However, don't use a password that is easy for someone else to guess
   • Write your password down and put it in a safe, secure place as there is no way to retrieve it if you forget it
   • Excel differentiates between upper and lower case letters
4. Activate the appropriate check box(es)
5. Select OK
6. Excel will once again ask you to confirm your password if you chose that option

How do I protect a file?
Keywords: Protect File
Posted August 15, 1996

Excel allows you to protect cells, objects, scenarios and an entire worksheet. However, with confidential data you might find it necessary to protect a complete file. Excel offers three options for increased security:

• It can be protected as a read-only file so that the document can be changed, but the changes cannot be saved. You could however save the changes to a file with a different name. The original file would always remain intact.
• It can be protected with a password assigned for saving changes. Users with the knowledge of the password would be assigned write privileges and could save changes to the workbook.
• It can be protected with a password for opening the document. Only uses with the knowledge of the password would be allowed to open the workbook.

To set these security options:

1. Activate the workbook and from the menu bar choose File - Save As
2. In the Save As dialog box, select the Options button - Excel displays the Save Options dialog box
3. Activate the Read-Only Recommended box to have Excel recommend that the file be opened as read-only
4. Enter a password in the Write Reservation Password edit box to restrict the write privileges
5. Enter a password in the Protection Password edit box to prevent unauthorized users from open the file
6. Select OK
7. If passwords are used, Excel asks you to confirm them - enter them and select OK
8. In the Save As dialog box, select OK
9. To replace the existing file, select OK

Can I protect my windows or workbook structures?
Keywords: Protect Window Workbook Structure
Posted August 15, 1996

As easy as it is to protect part or all of your worksheet, you can also protect your windows and workbook structure. When you protect a window, Excel does the following:

• Hides the window's maximum and minimum buttons, Control-menu box, and borders making it impossible to move, size, or close the window
• Disables the Window menu's New Window, Split, and Freeze Panes commands when the window is active. The Arrange command remains active, but has no effect on the protected window. The Hide and Unhide commands remain active

When you protect a workbook's structure, Excel does the following:

• Disables the Edit menu's Delete Sheet and M or Copy Sheet commands
• Prevents the Insets menu's Worksheet, Chart, and Macro commands from having any effect
• Keeps the Scenario Manager from creating a summary report

To protect windows and workbook structures:

1. Activate the window or workbook to be protected
2. From the menu bar choose Tools - Protection - Protect Workbook - Excel displays the Protect Workbook dialog box
3. Enter a password in the Password box if desired
4. Select what you want to be protected - Structure or Windows
5. Select OK
6. If you entered a password, Excel will ask you to confirm it

How can I protect my worksheet so that it cannot be changed?
Keywords: Protect Worksheet Protection
Posted January 18, 1996

Excel's workbook protection features enable you to prevent changes to anything from a single cell to an entire workbook. To protect cells, objects, and scenarios, from the menu bar choose Format - Cells and then the Protection tab.

First select the item's protection format. Cells, objects, or scenarios can be locked or unlocked. With the protection option on, locked cells cannot be changed.

Many options are unavailable when a worksheet is protected. For instance cell formulas and scenarios can be hidden or visible. With the protection option on, hidden cell formulas and scenarios cannot be seen.

The next step is to turn on the worksheet protection. From the menu bar choose Tools - Protection - Protect Sheet. The display will allow you to indicate what part of the worksheet you want protected Contents, Objects, and/or Scenarios. It will also give you the option of using a password.

Hint: If you forget your password, there is no way to retrieve it, and you will never be able to access your worksheet. You might want to write down your password and keep it in a safe place!

Back to Top

Back to the FAQ Table of Contents

Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM?