Password Protection doesn't interop between Office for Window andOffice for Mac 2004

[mcoley958]

I have an excel file that was created in Office for Windows and
certain cells were password protected. When I open that same file
with excel for Mac the password protection doesn't work. I tried
tools>unprotect> .... I plug in the password and no luck. When I open
that same excel file with another windows machine with Office for
windows I'm able to access the protected cells after entering the
password.


Is this a known issue? Is there a fix for office for mac? I'll be
forced to buy a windows version of office which would make the mac
version useless.

I'm currently running Office for Mac 2004 version 11.3.5

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Is this a known issue? Is there a fix for office for mac? I'll be
forced to buy a windows version of office which would make the mac
version useless.

IIRC, cell-level protection (as opposed to locked/unlocked cells with
worksheet-level protection), was introduced in WinXL02, and the ability
to set/remove cell-level protection has not made it to MacXL.

If you require that feature, you'll have to use WinXL.

Note, however, that XL's internal protection (Win or Mac) should be used
*only* for convenience (i.e., to prevent inadvertent errors) rather than
for security. Anyone who can find these groups can certainly find a way
to bypass that protection. For instance:

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/excel/removepwords.html

 

[CyberTaz]

You're referring to the Allow Users to Edit Ranges feature. Sorry, but that
type of protection hasn't made it to the Mac version of Excel.

Although I understand your position you might take a moment to go to the
Help menu in Mac Excel & voice tour concern to MS through Send Feedback...
Nobody here has any control over such issues.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac