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

CAUSE

This behavior can occur under the following conditions:

• You create a protected workbook in Microsoft Excel 2002.
  
  -and-
• You use the "Allow Users to Edit Ranges" feature.
  
  -and-
• You then edit and save the workbook in a version of Excel earlier than Excel 2002.

This behavior occurs because previous versions of Excel do not have the "Allow Users to Edit Ranges" feature; therefore, Excel 2002 does not recognize changes made to those ranges in earlier versions.

Example of This Behavior

For an example of this behavior, follow these steps:

1. Start Excel 2002.
2. Select cells E2:E10.
3. Type Text in cell E2, and then press CTRL+ENTER.
4. Select cells B2:D10.
5. On the Format menu, click Cells to open the Format Cells dialog box.
6. On the Patterns tab, click Green, and then click OK.
7. On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then click Allow Users to Edit Ranges.
8. In the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog box, click New.
9. Make sure the Refers to Cells box contains:

   =$B$2:$D$10

10. Click OK.
11. In the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog box, click Protect Sheet.
12. In the Protect Sheet dialog box, click OK.
13. Name the document Green.xls and save it.
14. Start any previous version of Excel.
15. Open the document created in step 12.
16. On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then click Unprotect Sheet.
17. Right-click column D, and then click Delete.
18. On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then click Protect Sheet.
19. On the File menu, click Save.
20. In Excel 2002, open Green.xls.
21. In cell D4, type New.

One of the columns in the range using the "Allow Users to Edit Ranges" feature was deleted in the other version of Excel, but instead of adjusting the range to one column less, the range stays the same in Excel 2002.