SharePoint Online - Document Library - Excel Protected Cells

Question

SharePoint Online - Document Library - Excel Protected Cells

Zachary Femmer 6

I am recently having some issues with protected cells when uploading Excel documents to a SharePoint Online document library.

Everything was working fine with the documents up until about a week ago and now all my templates that are locked down to only update certain cells cannot be updated at all. I did not make any changes to the documents or to the document library. Is anyone aware of any changes?

Bryan George 1 Reputation point

2023-12-20T19:27:44.23+00:00

I know this thread is pretty old, but came across it while troubleshooting the same issue. The cells that are supposed to be unlocked are fine on the desktop app. Our problem is, the peeps accessing these locked spreadsheets are on an E1 license, therefore don't have access to the desktop app.

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Bryan George 1 Reputation point

2023-12-20T19:27:44.23+00:00

I know this thread is pretty old, but came across it while troubleshooting the same issue. The cells that are supposed to be unlocked are fine on the desktop app. Our problem is, the peeps accessing these locked spreadsheets are on an E1 license, therefore don't have access to the desktop app.

Answer 1

Emily Du-MSFT 51,946 Microsoft External Staff

@Zachary Femmer

Do you mean that unprotected cells cannot be updated in the excel online?

Please download the excel file and open it in the client application to check the issue still exists.

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Zachary Femmer 6 Reputation points

2021-05-12T19:47:57.663+00:00

I am using an automated tool to update templates and then upload the files to SharePoint.

Before uploading to SharePoint, the files open up just fine and work as expected.

After I upload to SharePoint, the files get corrupted somehow because I will upload them to SharePoint, they do not work and I redownload the file and they still don't work.

I have found a weird fix is to open the file before I upload, save it, and close it. If I upload that file, it works fine, but that is not a very good workaround.
Emily Du-MSFT 51,946 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-13T09:40:01.663+00:00

@Zachary Femmer

What is the automated tool?
Zachary Femmer 6 Reputation points

2021-05-13T14:54:18.723+00:00

We use a program called VisualCron.
Emily Du-MSFT 51,946 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-17T10:24:45.24+00:00

@Zachary Femmer

In my opinion, it may be caused by the automated tool.

You could try to update the template manually to check whether the issue still exists.
Femmer, Zach 1 Reputation point

2021-05-17T14:15:07.49+00:00

We did try this. It performs the same way. We have found that it could be a licensing issue.

Whenever I or my admin account (neither have o365 licenses) upload the files, the files do not work.

Whenever my coworker or his admin account (both have o365 licenses) upload the files, they perform as expected.

Not sure what changed on the licensing side as neither of my accounts has ever had licenses, but we are going to do more testing as we have quite a few users that do not have licenses.
Emily Du-MSFT 51,946 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-19T10:05:25.753+00:00

Thanks for your contribution. I am looking forward to your feedback if there is any update.
Femmer, Zach 1 Reputation point

2021-05-19T14:18:06.537+00:00

We have not had any consistencies. Some accounts work, some don't. We have transferred licenses between accounts, but nothing changes.

We are probably going to setup another call with Microsoft to see what they think of what we have found.
Emily Du-MSFT 51,946 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-21T07:58:23.95+00:00

If Microsoft has feedback, you could share it here. Thank you.
Femmer, Zach 1 Reputation point

2021-05-21T16:16:06.183+00:00

They actually cancelled our call and closed our ticket and just responded with essentially that because we are using third party software to upload the files, there is nothing they can do.

It is clearly a licensing issue, but we still have been unable to figure that out.

The only solution I have found...which is odd on why it works...

I wrote a quick PowerShell script to open, save, and close the file before the file is uploaded to SharePoint. I don't really like that solution, but for now, I think that is all I will have since Microsoft doesn't seem to want to help.

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SharePoint Online - Document Library - Excel Protected Cells

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