Microsoft Excel - Protecting excel worksheets and workbooks

🔐 1️⃣ Protecting an Entire Worksheet

This prevents users from editing locked cells.

Steps:

Open your Excel sheet.

Go to Review tab.

Click Protect Sheet.

Set a password (optional but recommended).

Choose what users are allowed to do (select cells, format, etc.).

Click OK.

👉 By default, all cells are locked — protection works only after you enable “Protect Sheet”.

🔒 2️⃣ Protecting Specific Cells in a Worksheet

If you want users to edit only certain cells:

Step 1: Unlock editable cells

Select the cells you want users to edit.

Right-click → Format Cells.

Go to Protection tab.

Uncheck Locked → Click OK.

Step 2: Protect the sheet

Go to Review → Protect Sheet.

Set password → Click OK.

Now only unlocked cells can be edited ✅

🏗 3️⃣ Protecting the Structure of a Workbook

This prevents users from:

Adding new sheets

Deleting sheets

Renaming sheets

Moving sheets

Steps:

Go to Review tab.

Click Protect Workbook.

Check Structure.

Add password (optional).

Click OK.

🔑 4️⃣ Adding a Workbook Password (Open Password)

This prevents the file from opening without a password.

Steps:

Click File → Info.

Click Protect Workbook.

Select Encrypt with Password.

Enter password → Click OK.

Save the file.

⚠️ Important: If you forget this password, it cannot be recovered easily.