Hiding columns upon opening on another computer

**simonwilliams** · 03-06-2009, 06:20 AM

Excel 2007 running on XP +SP3

I have my main Excel spreadsheet with all my finances laid out from row A - L & it runs down 1 - 36.

I want to know if it is possible to have this same spreadsheet opened up on another computer on my network in read only mode & with column L hidden. Reason being column L is financial & not information I want my staff being privvy to?

Preferably the same copy would open as this will be the most up to date version, otherwise I would have to remember to sync up versions if I have to use a separate copy for the other machine.

Hope what I have typed has made sense? Any ideas anyone?

**simonwilliams** · 06-22-2009, 10:36 AM

Anyone any ideas?

**shg** · 06-22-2009, 11:23 AM

You need to force users to enable macros, and then write a few additional lines of code to hide the particular column.

For the first part, Google excel force users to enable macros for many examples.

Be aware that Excel is in no way a secure environment, and any curious, savvy user will be able to expose the data.

**dominicb** · 06-22-2009, 11:38 AM

Good afternoon simonwilliams

You're probably better off doing this in reverse, and make it so that column L is always hidden when the file is saved and you unhide it, either manually or via macro (it makes the macros enabled option irrelevant then). Use Tools > Protection to protect the spreadsheet so that users can't unhide the column, but it's worth reiterating the security issue that shg brought up - Excel's not secure enough to hide confidential data.

HTH

DominicB