Password protecting worksheets

  • Thread starter Thread starter VANH1027
  • Start date Start date
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VANH1027

How can I password protect a hidden sheet so that you can only 'unhide' it
with a password? I'm using Excel 2003.
 
Hi,
Once you hide the sheet you protect your worksheet, Tools protection,
protect worksheet
 
I don't quite follow. I hide the sheet that I don't want seen and protected
and then protect the rest of the workbook? It won't let me protect the hidden
sheet without unhiding it.
 
It would take some Visual Basic to do what you ask.
So what you might want to do is...
1) Protect the worksheet
2) 'VERY HIDE' the worksheet so that it does NOT appear when you select
'FORMAT > SHEET > UNHIDE'

To do this...
1) Protect the worksheet
- TOOLS > PROTECTION > PROTECT SHEET
- The 'Protect Sheet' window will appear
- Make sure the 'Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells' check
box is checked
- Enter a password in the 'Password to unprotect sheet' text box
- WRITE THE PASSWORD DOWN SOMEWHERE!
- Uncheck ALL checked boxes in the 'Allow all users of this worksheet
to:' check boxes
- Select 'OK'
- Re-enter password in the 'Reenter password to proceed.' text box
2) 'VERY HIDE' the worksheet
- TOOLS > MACRO > VISUBAL BASIC EDITOR
- Press the 'Ctrl' key and the 'R' key at the same time [Ctrl-R] so that
the 'Project - VBAProject' window appears on the left side of the Visual
Basic window.
- Press the 'F4' function key so that the 'Properties Window' will appear
on the left side of the Visual Basic window.
- In the 'Project - VBAProject' window, find the worksheet you just
protected and highlight it.
- When you highlight the worksheet, the 'Properties Window' will change
to show the properties of that worksheet.
- In the 'Properties Window', scroll down to the last item. It should say
'Visible' on the left side of the window and '-1 - xlSheetVisible' on the
right side of the window.
- Select the dropdown and highlight '2 - xlSheetVeryHidden'
- FILE > CLOSE AND RETURN TO MICROSOFT EXCEL

This is about the best you're going to be able to do without macros.

--
Hope this helps.
If it does, please click the Yes button.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Gary Brown
 
Thank you SOOO much! It seems so easy when you explain it like that... Haha

Gary Brown said:
It would take some Visual Basic to do what you ask.
So what you might want to do is...
1) Protect the worksheet
2) 'VERY HIDE' the worksheet so that it does NOT appear when you select
'FORMAT > SHEET > UNHIDE'

To do this...
1) Protect the worksheet
- TOOLS > PROTECTION > PROTECT SHEET
- The 'Protect Sheet' window will appear
- Make sure the 'Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells' check
box is checked
- Enter a password in the 'Password to unprotect sheet' text box
- WRITE THE PASSWORD DOWN SOMEWHERE!
- Uncheck ALL checked boxes in the 'Allow all users of this worksheet
to:' check boxes
- Select 'OK'
- Re-enter password in the 'Reenter password to proceed.' text box
2) 'VERY HIDE' the worksheet
- TOOLS > MACRO > VISUBAL BASIC EDITOR
- Press the 'Ctrl' key and the 'R' key at the same time [Ctrl-R] so that
the 'Project - VBAProject' window appears on the left side of the Visual
Basic window.
- Press the 'F4' function key so that the 'Properties Window' will appear
on the left side of the Visual Basic window.
- In the 'Project - VBAProject' window, find the worksheet you just
protected and highlight it.
- When you highlight the worksheet, the 'Properties Window' will change
to show the properties of that worksheet.
- In the 'Properties Window', scroll down to the last item. It should say
'Visible' on the left side of the window and '-1 - xlSheetVisible' on the
right side of the window.
- Select the dropdown and highlight '2 - xlSheetVeryHidden'
- FILE > CLOSE AND RETURN TO MICROSOFT EXCEL

This is about the best you're going to be able to do without macros.

--
Hope this helps.
If it does, please click the Yes button.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Gary Brown



VANH1027 said:
I don't quite follow. I hide the sheet that I don't want seen and protected
and then protect the rest of the workbook? It won't let me protect the hidden
sheet without unhiding it.
 
I think Eduardo meant for you to hide the sheet then protect the WORKBOOK.

If you protect the workbook with a password under
Tools>Protection>Protect>Workbook, users cannot unhide hidden sheets without
unprotecting the workbook.

You don't need to protect the worksheet.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP
 
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