Excel protected cells not working

Question

Hello, I got my worksheet protected. I was able to edit unlocked cells as well as sort all columns but Everything else that I checked did not work. Your assistance is very much appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

Hi Therence Valdez, 

Good day! Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum and sharing your experience with the protected worksheet. I understand how important it is to have the right access when working with your data, and I’m here to help you resolve this smoothly. 

From what you described, you’re able to edit unlocked cells and sort columns, which means those permissions were successfully enabled. However, other actions you selected such as inserting rows or editing objects that aren’t working as expected. This usually happens when those specific options weren’t selected during the protection setup. 

To help you adjust the settings, please follow the steps below. You can check each step to see if it suits your situation: 

1. Unprotect the Sheet 
   • Open your Excel file. 
   • Go to the Review tab at the top of the screen. 
   • Click Unprotect Sheet. 
   • If prompted, enter the password you used when protecting the sheet. 
2. Reapply Protection with the Correct Permissions 
   1. Go back to the Review tab. 
   2. Click Protect Sheet. 
   3. In the dialog box that appears:  
      • Enter a password (optional) to protect the sheet again. 
      • Make sure “Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells” is checked. 
      • Under “Allow all users of this worksheet to:”, check the boxes for the actions you want to enable. For example:  
      • Select locked cells 
      • Insert rows or columns 
      • Use PivotTable and PivotChart 
      • Edit objects or scenarios 
      • Click OK to apply the changes. 
3. Test the Permissions 
   • Try performing the actions you enabled (e.g., inserting rows, editing objects). 
   • If everything works as expected, your settings are now correctly applied. 

If you’re unsure which options to enable or would like help tailoring the settings to your workflow, I’d be happy to assist further. Just let me know what tasks you need to perform, and I’ll guide you through the best configuration. 

Thank you again for your patience and for choosing Microsoft Q&A forum. Please feel free to try these steps at your convenience. If you need help at any point or if the issue continues, just reply to this email. I’m here to support you every step of the way. 

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Answer 2

Hi Vy,

I followed your instructions! last time I excluded select locked cells. when i did this time, everything worked! I was wrong that if i select locked cells, it will edit the columns with formula.

Off topic-- I've been asking asking assistance from Microsoft Community. Yesterday, for some reason, I can't submit my questions, it says no data found on products drop-down and I didn't have a way of contacting them. I wonder if you can relay to them? Good to know i have 2 options to get help with.

Thanks!

Therence