Excel cell-clicking prevention?

Question

I want to make parts of my worksheet unavailable to users so that they can not click in the cell, change formats of the cell(s), etc..

Excel Help tells me that the only way to do this is if I am SHARING the workbook but this is not that kind of thing. It's not on a network and it's not a multi-user workbook.

How do I protect (for example) A1:A10 yet leave everything around it open for data-entry?

PS: I am working with Excel 2007, but I also need this information for my 2003 files that I use on another computer as well.

Any help would be appreciated!!

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Answer 1

i have not used office 2007 but in 2003 and earlier versions...

by default all cells in a spreadsheet are locked. if you want your user to have access to, for example, only cells A1:A10 then select that range and goto the Format menu item, select Cells. In the properites window select the Protection tab and deselect the Locked check box and click OK.

What I do is to set the input cells background color to light yellow. This draws the users eye to those cells.

Then goto Tools\Protection\Protect Sheet. Accept the defaults of Select locked and unlocked cells.

Please note that most users will not question your worksheet security but Excel is not hack proof. There are tools, macros that can be written to strip passwords.

Answer 2

First you want format the cells that you want the user to be able to change. Go to:

Format > Cells... Then click the protection tab. Remove the checkmark from Locked for the cells you want the users to be able to work with. Locked is default for the cells. The cell is only locked though if the sheet is protected. After you format the cells, then you protect the worksheet.

Select the sheet that you want to protect. Then click:

Tools > Protection > Protect Sheet...

Then you can select the options you want them to be able to modify on the cells that are protected.

The password will keep most users out, but like the previous person said. Excel is not hack-proof and it was never designed to be totally hack proof. But for co-workers, the password should work just fine.

Answer 3

only a form of visual basic programming in excel there is the other tools, usually in the upper right to change cell color clicking it once can change the color with a programmable mouse keys to change to a different color would need a different mouse key unless you get a programmer to come up with your unusual case and if this makes you feel that your job (and not a student) is easier be very thankful for having the job that you have