How do I protect specific cells from changes in Excel?

[LarryH]

Please can someone help me. How do I protect specific cells from changes in
Excel? I have a spreadsheet that I would like users to only be able to change
certain cells, the others need to be protected from change

[Michael Malinsky]

Go to Format>Cells. On the Protection tab, uncheck the "Locked" box for any
cell you want to be editable. After you protect the document, the user will
only be able to edit the cells you unlock.


"LarryH" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Please can someone help me. How do I protect specific cells from changes
in
> Excel? I have a spreadsheet that I would like users to only be able to
change
> certain cells, the others need to be protected from change
>

[Gord Dibben]

Larry

By default all cells in a worksheet are locked when the sheet is protected
under Tools>Protection>Protect Sheet.

Select the cells you want to be available for editing.

Format>Cells>Protection. Uncheck "locked" and OK your way out.

Now go to Tools>Protection>Protect Sheet. You can password protect and if
using XL2002 or 2003 also pick from the options listed.

Note: worksheet protection passwords are quite easy to crack, but if your
users are not too sophisticated you should have no worries.

It looks like you just want the protection so data doesn't get overwritten,
not for security.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP



On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 13:37:08 -0800, LarryH <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Please can someone help me. How do I protect specific cells from changes in
>Excel? I have a spreadsheet that I would like users to only be able to change
>certain cells, the others need to be protected from change
>

[AlfD]

Hi!

If, for example, you have a data sheet with some columns you want users to put data in and some you want to protect (e.g. because they have formulae in them) you can usefully limit the scrollable area.

This limits which cells can actually be "got at".

Method: open worksheet: click on a cell.
View > Toolbars> Control Toolbox
Select Properties icon on the toolbar (2nd one).
In the Properties sheet,find ScrollArea and put in it something like C3:G99 <Enter>.

The entry will change to $C$3:$G$99 and those are the only cells in the worksheet you can now open with a mouse click. It has to be a rectangular array of cells.

Calculations continue unhindered. VBA can address and change all the rest (which can be a problem with using sheet protection unless you take steps to handle it).

Alf