How to prevent others from linking to the content of my file?

**frankt68** · 05-10-2017, 03:26 AM

Hi there!

I have a question regarding file content protection.

I have created a file in Excel 2010, for users to enter some data. Some content is hidden, some content is protected against modification and copying. The purpose of protection is to prevent the user from changing data (eg. Formulas), inserting additional lines, etc.
However, the user can open a new file and transfer content from my file to a new file by using the links to the individual cells (eg. using the formula "='[FileName.xlsm] SheetName'! A3").

I do not have much hope, but still, I wonder whether there is a way to prevent this?

**TMS** · 05-10-2017, 03:45 AM

Short story: no.

Excel is not a secure environment. Hiding, locking, protecting offers very little to stop a determined user.

**frankt68** · 05-10-2017, 04:05 AM

Thanx!

I was expecting that the answer would be "No". But I was hoping that there is a way...

**TMS** · 05-10-2017, 07:44 AM

Problem is, you have described a way of looking at the content of your workbook. So others can research the same or similar techniques. Seeing the values in cells is one thing; seeing the formulae is another. So if you want to stop people seeing the formulae, locking and protecting the Worksheet helps. You can make worksheets "very hidden" in the VBA Editor, and so on. It will all help to prevent or, at least, slow down the typical user accessing your data. But it probably wouldn't stop a lot of the people on this forum.

If you had a formula to calculate senior management pay, you wouldn't want people to see the values OR the formula.

How to prevent others from linking to the content of my file?

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