Locking Workbook

  • Thread starter Thread starter murray_g
  • Start date Start date
M

murray_g

:( I have a workbook that is highly sensitive. I want to lock it so
that only I can open it with a password. I tried the security features
that come with Excel2002 but the workbook can still be opened.

Please help!!! Security is being breached as long as this workbook is
"public".
 
You want to protect the workbook, not the sheets.

Tools >Protection >Protect Workbook

This will prevent it from being opened without a password.
 
shades > said:
You want to protect the workbook, not the sheets.
Tools >Protection >Protect Workbook
Click to expand...

You can also access this on the Save As screen under the options button.
Make sure you put your password in *Password to Open* and not in the
*Password to Modify*. It may also be wise to use a password that has at
least 8 alpha and numeric characters as well as some of the following:
?!#@$%^& or anything that keeps it from being a word you can find in the
dictionary. Bottom line... unless you have purchased software to encrypt
your files/passwords, a person that wants into your workbook badly enough
will probably be able to get into it with the right resources.

Also... when doing this... be sure not to forget what your password is =)

HTH,

ryanb.
 
Murray

Up front I will state that Excel's password protection can be broken quite
easily by many password-cracker programs.

There are three types of protection and passwording(4 if you count VBA
projects)

Sheet Protection is what you need to "lock" or "unlock" cells for editing.
Protecting elements from all users. You can prevent users from inserting,
deleting, and formatting rows and columns, from changing the contents of
locked cells, and from moving the cursor to cells that are locked or to cells
that are unlocked.

Each sheet must be done individually unless you use a Macro.

Workbook Protection is used to lock the structure.
You can prevent users from adding or deleting worksheets, or displaying hidden
worksheets. You can also prevent users from changing the sizes or positions of
the windows you set up to display a workbook. These protections apply to the
entire workbook. This does not protect the sheet from editing.

Then there is File Protection. You put a password on the file so it cannot be
opened with out the PW.

To prevent anyone from viewing an Excel file you need to password-protect the
file from being opened in the first place.

XL97.....File>Save As>Options>Password to open

XL2002...File>Save As>Tools>General Options>Password to open

Gord Dibben Excel MVP
 
:( I have a workbook that is highly sensitive. I want to lock it so
that only I can open it with a password. I tried the security features
that come with Excel2002 but the workbook can still be opened.

Please help!!! Security is being breached as long as this workbook is
"public".
Click to expand...

The only real way to ensure security is to physically guard/isolate the
machine that the file is on. If an interested person can reach the file,
any password can be cracked. And Excel passwords aren't particularly
difficult for someone with hostile intent to crack.
 
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