Frequently asked questions about workbook protection in Excel (293445)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
This article was previously published under Q293445

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel provides multiple layers of protection to allow you to control who can access and change your data:
  • Worksheet protection: You can protect elements on a worksheet (for example, cells with formulas) from all user access, or you can grant individual users access to the ranges that you specify.
  • Workbook-level protection: You can apply protection to workbook elements, and you can protect a workbook file from being viewed and edited. If a workbook is shared, you can protect it from being returned to exclusive use and prevent the change history from being deleted.

MORE INFORMATION

The following articles address some of the more frequently asked questions about workbook and worksheet protection in Excel:
  • How can I grant only a few users access to a range in my worksheet?

    289270 How to apply different passwords or permissions to separate ranges in worksheets in Excel

  • Why are users not allowed to edit the ranges that I established permissions for?

    277613 XL2002: Protected Ranges Not Adjusted When You Edit in Previous Versions of Excel

  • Why don't the permissions that I set on ranges in my worksheets carry over to Windows 98 computers?

    283665 XL2002: Password Required to Edit a Range Protected with NT Permissions

REFERENCES

For more information about workbook protection, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type about workbook protection in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/6/2006
Keywords:kbhowto kbinfo KB293445
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