Microsoft Excel sheet can be protected either by providing security to entire work book or by restricting user permissions at worksheet level. With few simple steps, any user can apply safety measures and implement password protection methods. To access and modify such spreadsheet, other people have to enter the correct password for it.
By locking the entire workbook, we can protect it with desired password which in turn will be prompted if any user tries to open it. One more password is entered exclusively to control the modification of workbook.
Step 1: Open new or existing excel workbook and go to "File" -> "Save As" menu.
Step 2: When "Save As" dialog box appears. Go to "Tools" -> "General Options" menu. (In Microsoft Excel 2007, "Tools" option is provided by a button on bottom left of "Save As" dialog box)
Step 3: On clicking "General Options" submenu, "Save Options" window appears. There are two text boxes viz. 1) "Password to open" and 2) "Password to modify". In "Password to open" text box, enter the desired password which you want to set to open the workbook. In "Password to modify" text box, enter the desired password which you want to set to modify the workbook. Both passwords can be same. Now click "OK" button on "Save Options" window.
Step 4: Now "Confirm password" window appears. Enter respective password in "Reenter password to proceed" box. Click "OK". Similarly enter respective password in "Reenter password to modify" box and click "OK" button. Finally click "Save" button on "Save As" window. If any of these confirmation passwords do not match with initial entered password, pop up will appear showing message as - "Confirmation password is not identical"
If password protection is set for an existing file, message pops up - "This file already exists. Do you want to replace the existing file?" Click "Yes" button.
If you do not want to lock entire workbook, individual worksheet can also be protected. You can prevent unwanted changes to the data in a sheet by specifying what information can be changed.
Step 1: Open new or existing workbook. Go to "Tools" -> "Protection" -> "Protect Sheet" menu. (In Microsoft Excel 2007, user can go to "Protect Sheet" option by selecting "Review" tab on main ribbon and clicking the in "Protect Sheet" button in "Changes" section. In Excel 2007, there is another way also. User can right click on desired worksheet tab at the bottom for e.g. "Sheet1" and can access "Protect Sheet" context menu option.)
Step 2: "Protect Sheet" window appears. Here you can specify a password that can be entered to unprotect the sheet and allow any change. So enter the password in "Password to unprotect the sheet" text box and click "OK" button.
Step 3: "Confirm Password" window appears. Again enter the password in "Reenter password to proceed" text box and click "OK" button.
The sheet protected in above three steps can be unprotected by selecting the respective sheet. Go to "Tools" -> "Protection" -> "Unprotect sheet" menu. "Unprotect Sheet" window will appear containing "Password" text box. Enter the correct password and click "OK" button. With correct password the sheet will be unprotected.
There is one more option in Microsoft Excel to restrict access to the workbook by preventing new sheets from being created or by granting access to specific people. User can go to "Tools" -> "Protection" -> "Protect Workbook" menu. Remaining steps are similar to those involved in protecting an individual worksheet. On locking the workbook using "Protect Workbook" option, you will see the difference on selecting "Insert" menu in the top main menu bar. "Worksheet" submenu will be disabled. On right click of any tab at the bottom of sheets, submenus like "Insert", "Delete", "Rename" will be disabled. This means that unauthorized user can not insert new sheet nor delete an existing sheet. User can not rename or move an existing worksheet without correct password.