Did you know that the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet editor allows you to put a password for changing both the whole workbook and a separate sheet? This is very convenient if you need to protect content from users, prevent them from making changes to the table, or even block access to it. This is especially true in some companies, where a single file-trash can is organized on the server, which is available to everyone and where all users dump their documents. By password-protecting the entire XLS or XLSX file from unauthorized access. At the same time, for those who really need access, you can issue a password on an individual basis.

Let's take a closer look at how to password protect data in Excel.

Setting a password on an Excel sheet

At the bottom of the window, find a list of sheets and click on the desired right click mouse to bring up a menu where you need to select the item "Protect sheet":

A separate window "Protection of the sheet" will appear, in which you must specify the password, as well as use the checkboxes to set the rights that will be available to users:

After you enter the password, another window will appear in which you must enter it again to confirm:

Now, when trying to change the contents of a protected sheet, the user will receive the following message:

And if he tries to remove the protection of the sheet, then Excel will require him to enter the password:

Note: You can also call the "Protect Sheet" window through the main menu in the "Review" section. See the video for more details:

How to put a password on an Excel workbook

Now let's look at how it is put in Excel protection books with a password. In the main window of the program and call the menu "File". Such a menu will appear, in which you need to open the "Information" section:

The first item is "Book protection". Click on it and see this menu:

We select the item "Encrypt using a password". Excel will ask you to enter a password:

Enter and click "OK". After that, you will see a message that a password is required to open this book.

Excel file password

This method of data protection implies that you want to set a password for the entire XLS or XLSX file so that an unauthorized person cannot open it at all, and if you try to do this, you will be prompted to enter a security key:

After you click the "OK" button, a password confirmation window will pop up twice - first to open an XLS or XLSX file, and then to change it.
After that, you can be sure that your data is well protected.

Most users have information that they would not like to share with others. Moreover, they try to hide it for everyone to read. possible ways... In this article, we will look at how to put a password on an Excel file. In fact, there is nothing difficult here. There are several ways to do this, and we will analyze each of them.

In the modern Excel editor (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016), you can set a security key for both opening the file and editing it. That is, in one case, an outsider will not be able to do anything (even see the content), and in the other, he will only have access to reading information.

Locking a document

For this purpose, you need to perform the following steps.

  1. Open your document. Click on the "File" menu item.
  1. Then go to the "Save As" section.
  1. Then click on the "Browse" icon.
  1. In the window that appears, follow these steps:
    • Select the desired directory to save the document.
    • Specify the desired file name.
    • Click on the "Tools" menu.
  1. Then click on the item " Common parametersยป.
  1. Immediately after that, a small window will appear in which you can specify the key for both opening and modifying the file:
  1. Enter something in the first field and click on "OK".
  1. After that, you will be asked to confirm the previously specified text. At the same time, they will warn that there is no way by which you can find out forgotten key so it is a good idea to make a list of your frequently used combinations and the documents they correspond to.
  1. Click on "OK" to confirm.
  1. In order to save the document, you need to click on the corresponding button.
  1. Close this file.
  1. Try opening it again. You will be asked to enter the password you specified earlier.
  1. To continue working with the document, you need to click on "OK".
  1. Only after these actions will this Excel file become available for work.

By using this method, you completely protect your file from unauthorized persons. But there are times when it is necessary to show the content, but at the same time prohibit editing.

To do this, you need to do the following.

  1. We repeat the steps described above, but this time we enter the password in the second field. To continue, click on the "OK" button.
  1. We confirm the security key and click on "OK".
  1. To save, click on the corresponding button.
  1. We close the document.
  1. Reopen it. As a result, you will see the following window.
  1. If a stranger (or you, but have forgotten the code word) does not know the key, then he will have to open the file for reading only. To do this, you need to click on the appropriate button.
  1. After opening the document, you will see that the title says Read Only. At the same time, you can easily make your own changes.
  1. Now press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + S (save the document). As a result, you will see the following error message.

This means that you can edit the document, but you cannot save it with the same name.

Locking sheets

Sometimes there are times when you need to prohibit something specific. For example, editing cells, running vba macros or something else, but keeping all other functions. In this case, the protection of a specific sheet, and not the entire document as a whole, will help.

To do this, follow these steps.

  1. Go to the Review tab. Click on the "Protect Sheet" button.
  1. Immediately after that, a window will appear in which you will need to indicate (uncheck) what exactly you want to prohibit. By default, only the selection of cells is allowed, but if you wish, you can remove this too.
  1. In addition, you can allow:
    • cell formatting;
    • column formatting;
    • string formatting;
    • inserting columns;
    • inserting rows;
    • inserting hyperlinks;
    • deleting columns;
    • deleting lines;
    • sorting;
    • using an autofilter;
    • use pivot table and pivot chart;
    • changing objects;
    • changing scripts.
  2. To save, you must click on the "OK" button.
  1. The result will be visible even without re-closing and opening the document. Almost all tools will be unavailable. The same is observed on every tab.

Encrypting a document

The above protection is not entirely effective. It, if desired, a knowledgeable person can get around without much effort. It is much more efficient to use file encryption.

Moreover, if you open the official Microsoft Help, you will see the following warning.

In order to encrypt an Excel file, you need to do the following.

  1. Click on the "File" menu item.

Majority computer users uses Microsoft Office in his daily work. Quite often, documentation files can contain important information that needs to be protected from third parties. In order for your documents to be opened and edited only by you, the system has the ability to close them with a password. Not all users are aware of this.

Nevertheless, we have such an opportunity. In fact, it is quite easy to put a password on an Excel or Word file and thereby protect it, just do some simple manipulations.

How to put a password on an Excel 2007 file

These steps are performed after you have created a document with the aforementioned name. First you need to open the item using the menu Save as.

In the window that appears, we find in the left part at the bottom of the button Service, click and in the list that appears we find Common parameters... In the newly opened window, we find the line Password to open.

It is recommended to come up with medium to high difficulty, containing letters and numbers, to reduce the likelihood of breaking an Excel file that has important information. After you have entered the password in the appropriate line, you will need to re-enter it after clicking on OK... This operation exists to eliminate typing errors. The above steps are performed in exactly the same way with Word documents.

How to put a password on an Excel 2003 file

  1. After creating the file, you need to open the menu item File and select the line with the name Save as.
  2. In the window that appears, look for the item Service and in the pop-up menu we find the line Common parameters.
  3. Next, a window appears asking for a password, enter

It is worth touching on such an important question: how to password protect an Excel file. The presented tool is an integral part of Microsoft Office. Excel allows you to create tables of various levels of complexity, apply formulas, change the design. To date, all versions of the program support password setting.


detailed instructions

The description of the process can be divided into several stages. You can password-protect Excel materials using * .xls files, as well as any other Microsoft Office documents, including Word and Access. To complete the procedure, you need to do the following:

1. At the end of the process, click the "File" item. It is located in the menu at the top of the Microsoft Excel window.
2. When the list appears, you need to go to the "Save as" section. To do this, click on it with the left mouse button.
3. In the file save window, find the "Service" menu and press the inverted triangle.
4. After that, the "General parameters" function will appear, which must be applied.

Password setting

Now you should go to the main steps to password protect the Excel file. When the "General parameters" section appears, you will need to enter a password that will allow you to enter the document, as well as edit it if necessary. When you enable Read Only, the toolbar is disabled by default when you set a password. If the document is protected only for its launch, the request for input appears constantly at the moment of opening the table. In order to use it, as well as edit its data, you need to know the secret combination.

To open a password-protected Excel file, provided that the protection is set to change the material, the launch is carried out as standard, without prompting. Difficulties arise when new data is entered into the table, as well as when trying to save a document. As a result, the user will be required to enter a secret combination. Setting both types of passwords involves double entry when opening and closing a file.

It is worth noting that you can set different passwords for opening and editing material. Now you need to go back to the setup. After the password has been created, you need to click "OK", which is in the "General parameters". In the explorer, you need to enter the name of the file, save it using the appropriate function.

Removing a password It is also worth touching on the issue of disabling the installed protection in Excel. To solve such a problem, no additional program is required. The app has built-in tools to do these things. First, you need to start Excel, and also open the file that you want to get rid of the password. Then you need to use the "File" menu. In it you need to specify "Save as" and the menu "Service".

After that, you should go to the "General parameters". To do this, you need to double-click on the asterisks located in the password line. Then the "Del" button is used to perform the required actions. The correctness of the operation is confirmed with the "OK" key. After that, you need to click "Save", and then the "Yes" button, which will open in a new window. After completing these simple steps, the password in Excel will be removed.

When using a sheet, similar operations are carried out. You need to open the "Tools" menu, then use the "Unprotect" command. To undo the actions, you will need to enter the previously set password.

Using the methods presented above, you can password-protect the Excel file, as well as remove protection from the document.

Today we will discuss how to password protect an Excel file. This tool is included with Microsoft Office. Excel allows you to create tables of varying complexity, use formulas, and custom design. All current versions of the application support password setting.

Instructions

Let's move on to a step-by-step description of the process of how to password-protect an Excel file. Such an opportunity is provided to files in the * .xls format, as well as to any other Microsoft Office documents, including Word and Access. So, after finishing working with the document, press the "File" button, which is located in the menu at the top of the Microsoft Excel window. In the list that appears, we turn to the item "Save as" by clicking on it once with the left mouse button. A window for saving the document will appear, in it we find the "Service" menu, press the inverted triangle, and then use the "General parameters" function that appears.

Customization

Let's move on to the next step in solving the question of how to password protect the Excel file. The "General parameters" section appears on the screen. Here you need to enter a password to change or open a document. Also, if you enable Read Only when you try to open a password-protected Excel file, it will be disabled by default.

If you set security only to run the document, you will be prompted for input every time the table is opened. Moreover, all users who know the secret combination will be able to create arrays and edit data. As for the question of how to open a password-protected file, the protection is set to change the material, the launch will occur as standard, without any prompts. However, if you add new data to the table and try to save the document, the application will ask you to specify a secret combination.

When both types of passwords are set, double entry is required at startup and shutdown of the material. It is important to know that you can set different passwords for editing and opening a file.

Let's go back to setting. When the password (or a pair of them) is set, click on the "OK" button in the "General parameters". In the explorer, enter the name of the document, save the file using the appropriate function.

Removing protection

Launch Excel. Open the document that needs to be removed from password protection. We use the "File" menu. Specify "Save As", and then open the "Service" menu. Go to the "General parameters", apply a double click of the mouse on the asterisks in the password line. We use the "Del" key for the desired action. We confirm the operation by clicking the "OK" button. Click "Save" and then "Yes" in the new window.

That's it, the password in the Excel workbook is cleared. With a sheet, everything happens in a similar way. Open the "Service" menu, use the "Unprotect" command. To confirm the undo action, you will need to enter the previously assigned password. From now on, you know how to password protect an Excel file, as well as how to remove protection if necessary.