How can I lock specific cells w/o having to protect entire sheet?

[J. Becker]

I have designed a worksheet so my boss can enter data from time cards and get
the total hours worked each week by each employee. However, there are
certain cells I don't want anyone to have access to because they must not be
changed, or the worksheet won't do what is needed. So, how do I lock
specific cells only. I want him to be able to use the worksheet to input the
time data, but not access the cells that do the computing because he is not
very computer oriented. Help!!!

 

[AG]

Hi,

You can do the following:
1- Select the entire spreadsheet first and right click to go to Format
Cells.
2- Go to the tab called Protection. Excel by default uses protect for
all the cells.
3- Uncheck the protect option there.
4- Now select the cells that you want to be protected and on those
cells right click to go Format Cells option again.
5- Check Protect option for those cells and if you do not want your
boss to see the formulae in those cells then you can also check
hidden. By checking hidden, he can see the result of the formulae used
but not the formulae itself.
6- Lastly, after you have protected all the desired cells you still
need to protect the spreadsheet using a password. But when you protect
the spreadsheet you are only protecting the cells for which you had
chosen the protect option on. All the other cells will still remain
editable.

Hope that helps.

- AG

 

[Shane Devenshire]

Hi,

1. Select all the cells you want to allow to be accessed
2. Choose Format, Cells, Protection, and uncheck Locked
3. Choose Tools, Protection, Protect Sheet

If most cells will be unprotected, unprotect the entire sheet by clicking
the top left corner - the intersection of the row and column titles, then
select the cells you want to protect and check Locked as described above.

 

[Jacob Skaria]

All cells are 'locked' by default, but 'locking' does not come into effect
until you protect the worksheet.

1. Hit Ctl+A to select everything,
2. Right-click then Format Cells, select Protection tab and uncheck Locked.
3. Now select the cells you want to lock. Right-click one of these cells,
Select Format Cells, go to the protection tab and select locked.
4. Now when you protect the sheet (Right click sheet tab), only the cells
selected last are protected.

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