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Lock Cells

 

Lock All Cells | Lock Specific Cells | Lock Formula Cells

You can lock cells in Excel if you want to protect cells from being edited.

Lock All Cells

By default, all cells are locked. However, locking cells has no effect until you protect the worksheet.

1. Select all cells.

Select All Cells

2. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).

3. On the Protection tab, you can verify that all cells are locked by default.

All Cells Are Lockecd By Default

4. Click OK or Cancel.

5. Protect the sheet.

All cells are locked now. To unprotect a worksheet, right click on the worksheet tab and click Unprotect Sheet. The password for the downloadable Excel file is “easy”.

Lock Specific Cells

To lock specific cells in Excel, first unlock all cells. Next, lock specific cells. Finally, protect the sheet.

1. Select all cells.

Select All Cells

2. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).

3. On the Protection tab, uncheck the Locked check box and click OK.

Unlock All Cells

4. For example, select cell A1 and cell A2.

Select Specific Cells

5. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).

6. On the Protection tab, check the Locked check box and click OK.

Lock Specific Cells

Again, locking cells has no effect until you protect the worksheet.

7. Protect the sheet.

Cell A1 and cell A2 are locked now. To edit these cells, you have to unprotect the sheet. The password for the downloadable Excel file is “easy”. You can still edit all other cells.

Lock Formula Cells

To lock all cells that contain formulas, first unlock all cells. Next, lock all formula cells. Finally, protect the sheet.

1. Select all cells.

Select All Cells

2. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).

3. On the Protection tab, uncheck the Locked check box and click OK.

Unlock All Cells

4. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select.

Click Find & Select

5. Click Go To Special.

Click Go To Special

6. Select Formulas and click OK.

Select Formulas

Excel selects all formula cells.

All Cells That Contain Formulas

7. Press CTRL + 1.

8. On the Protection tab, check the Locked check box and click OK.

Lock Formula Cells

Note: if you also check the Hidden check box, users cannot see the formula in the formula bar when they select cell A2, B2, C2 or D2.

Again, locking cells has no effect until you protect the worksheet.

9. Protect the sheet.

All formula cells are locked now. To edit these cells, you have to unprotect the sheet. The password for the downloadable Excel file is “easy”. You can still edit all other cells.

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