Thanks again for your reply. Your time in trying to help is very much
appreciated.
First of all, I was using Excel 2003 at somebody else's computer. I do
not
have Excel 2003 on my computer to test this all out.
However, I went to the MS website that you suggested. I have included a
few
comments that I think might explain what is going on:
* By default the Select locked cells check box is selected. This check
box
enables users to select cells with the Locked check box selected in the
Format Cells dialog box. When the Select locked cells check box is
selected,
the Select unlocked cells check box is automatically selected.
* By default the Select unlocked cells check box is selected. This check
box enables users to select cells with the Locked check box cleared in the
Format Cells dialog box. When the Select unlocked cells check box is
cleared,
the Select locked cells check box is automatically cleared. If there are
no
unlocked cells on a protected sheet and this check box is not selected,
users
cannot select any cells on the worksheet.
* Note: You cannot permit formatting of unlocked cells only.
Maybe you can test out the issue I am having (if you have a moment).
Unfortunately, this makes me kind of mad, because I'm not at a computer
right
now that has Excel 2003 running, if I did, I would do this myself.
However,
when I was at my friend's computer earlier this week, I'm pretty sure I
already did what I'm asking below. And...it did not work the way I wanted
it
to. i.e., my friend wanted me to lock all but certain cells on a
worksheet
that she was going to give to people to input numbers. My friend was not
happy, though, that the users of the worksheet could input numbers just
fine
into unlocked cells, BUT...they also were able to change the formatting
of
the cell (color, font, font size, borders, etc.), which she did not want
them
to be able to do. We tried & tried & tried, we could not figure out a way
to
do what she wanted.
Anyway, if you can try the following, you will see what I am talking
about.
-Open Excel 2003
-Put your cursor in cell C3 & Highlight the block of cells C3 thru E5.
-Select Format/ Cells/ Unlock
-Select Tools/ Protection/ Protect Sheet
-Make sure the "Select locked cells" box is NOT checked
You will then see that all this does it that it does not allow you as the
user to get your cursor into any cells other than those that you
previously
unlocked (i.e., the range of C3 thru E5) If your cursor is in cell E5 &
you
hit the down arrow, your cursor will not move to cell E6, it will move to
cell C3. i.e., the user is not able to select any locked cells whatsoever
anywhere on the worksheet. The user will only be able to select cells
that
have been previously unlocked.
If you are able to tell me the further steps at this point that I need to
go
thru to allow users of this worksheet to be able to input numbers in to
the
range of cells of C3 thru E5, but NOT be able to change any of the
formatting
of these cells, please just pass along the additional steps that I need to
take to be able to do this.
I can call my friend and walk her thru the steps over the phone.
Again, your time in helping me out is greatly appreciated. If I can
figure
this out, this will really be great, and will help us out a lot.
Thanks again.
David Biddulph said:
You failed to answer my first question:
"Which version of Excel are you using?"
In Excel 2003, and in any other version which I have used, the method
which
I described does what you ask. I allow users to select cells, and that
allows them to change the content of, but not the format of, the unlocked
cells (but doesn't allow them to change unlocked cells). In whichever
version you have, are you saying that if you allow users to select locked
and unlocked cells (the default settings), then the unlocked cells behave
exactly the same as the locked cells? [Perhaps you'd better check again
that you have actually unlocked the cells that you think you've
unlocked?]
I would be fascinated to hear if anyone else suffers from these same
symptoms.
Have a look at Excel help. The topic "About worksheet and workbook
protection" and the sub-topic "Protecting worksheet elements" address the
relevant area. If your Excel isn't behaving the way that it should do,
you
may need to reinstall, but I would suggest checking again carefully that
you've got the settings correct on your cells and on your worksheet
before
you resort to that drastic step.
--
David Biddulph
GraceJean Jones said:
Thanks again for your response.
In the worksheet I have unlocked certain cells using like you said:
Format/
Cells/ Unlock.
Then, like you said, I go to Tools/ Protection/ Protect Sheet.
If you allow users to "select cells," this option means the users of
the
worksheet can put their cursor on "locked" cells & select them. This
DOES
NOT mean that users, once selecting a "locked" cell can do anything
with
the
cell at all. If you do not allow users to "select cells," this then
means
that the user of the worksheet cannot even get their cursor to move
onto a
cell that has not been unlocked. If the user trys clicking on a
"locked
cell" or using the arrows to move around, the cursor will just "jump"
over
cells that have been "locked" (if the "select cells" if left
unchecked).
So,
in other words, by checking "select cells" all this does is it allows
users
to get their cursor moved onto or over "locked" cells.
If I unlock a cell, users have access to this cell, to input numbers.
But
the users unfortunately also have full access to change the color, to
change
the font, to change the borders of the cell, etc.
I still cannot figure out a way to unlock a cell so that the only thing
users can do in this cell is input a number, & nothing else.
Thanks again for your feedback, if you know of something else I can
try,
that would be great.
:
Which version of Excel are you using?
The cells that you want to change the values you have unlocked with
Format/
Cells/ Unlock?
You have gone to Tools/ Protection/ Protect Sheet? The default at
that
stage (at least in my Excel 2003) is to allow users to select cells,
but
not
to allow them to format cells, so that default will do what you want.
Did
you change any of the options at that stage? What is your problem
having
protected the sheet? Is it allowing users to change format although
when
you protected the sheet you have not selected the option to allow
formatting? Is it not allowing users to select cells which you have
unlocked?
--
David Biddulph
message Thanks for your reply, however, my question was not answered. I
want
to
be
able to create cells in a worksheet where users can input numbers,
but
cannot
change any of the formatting of the cell, such as font style, font
size,
font
color, borders, etc. Thanks again.
:
I'm glad to hear that you know how to protect a sheet and how to
lock
and
unlock cells. You therefore know how to answer your question.
--
David Biddulph
in
message I understand how to protect a worksheet, and I know how to
"unlock"
certain
cells in a worksheet, so that users of the worksheet can enter
information
into these unlocked cells. I have a worksheet where all I want
the
users
to
be able to do in certain cells is to be able to 'put in or
insert'
numbers.
I don't want the users of this worksheet to be able to change the
font,
font
color, font size, borders, etc. In other words, I want to create
a
worksheet
where only numbers can be entered into certain cells, but no
changes
whatsoever can be made to the cell formatting of these cells.
Thanks
for
your assistance.
