How to lock or unlock cells in Excel?
In Microsoft Excel 2007 or later version, we want to protect few cells only in a worksheet, then how to do it?
Solution: There are two situations to lock cells in excel depending on these reasons.
Mac Shortcut. Basic Shortcuts. Cell Editting Shortcuts. Edit The Active Cell. The Ultimate Excel Shortcut Add-in. Learn shortcuts effortlessly as you work. However, I can't find any shortcut that does the same thing in Excel for the Mac. In Windows, the steps are like this. Using a mouse, click on any cell where you want data to be displayed.
- If You Want the Majority of Cells Locked
- If You Want the Majority of Cells Unlocked
They are explained as follows:-
A. If You Want the Majority of Cells Locked:
- Select the cells that you want to remain unprotected. To select nonadjacent (non-contiguous) cells, hold down CTRL and click the cells that are to remain unprotected.
(Image 1)
- On Excel 2007 or later, make right click on any selected cell and select FORMAT-CELL, and then click ProtectionClick to clear the Locked check box and click OK.
(Image 2)
- In Excel 2007 or later, click the Review tab, and click Protect Type a password if you want one, and then click OK.
(Image 3)
B. If You Want the Majority of Cells Unlocked:
To leave the majority of the cells on the worksheet unlocked, follow these steps:
- Select the entire worksheet by clicking the Select All button (the gray rectangle in the upper-left corner of the worksheet where the row 1 and column A headings meet), or by pressing CTRL+A.
(Image 4)
- On Excel 2007 or later, make right click on any selected cell and select FORMAT CELL, and then click Protection.Click to clear the Locked check box and click OK.
(Image 5)
- Select the cells that you want to protect. To select nonadjacent (non-contiguous) cells, hold down CTRL and click the cells that you want to protect.
Return to the Format Cells dialog box, and then click the Protection tab. Click to select the Locked check box, and then click OK.
(Image 6)
- In Excel 2007 or later, click the Review tab, and click Protect Sheet. Type a password, if you want one, and then click OK.
(Image 7)
To get better insights on Excel, check out these sections:
Advanced Excel Tutorials & Free online Excel courses
Advanced Excel Tutorials & Free online Excel courses
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Are you unable to modify cells because they are locked? Here’s how to lock or unlock cells in Microsoft Excel 2016 and 2013.
- Select the cells you wish to modify.
- Choose the “Home” tab.
- In the “Cells” area, select “Format” > “Format Cells“.
- Select the “Protection” tab.
- Uncheck the box for “Locked” to unlock the cells. Check the box to lock them. Select “OK“. As the dialog box says, locking cells or hiding formulas has no effect until you protect the worksheet. You can do so under the “Review” tab by selecting “Protect Sheet“.
FAQ
But, why is “Protect Sheet” is grayed out?
If it’s a shared workbook, “Protect Sheet” may be grayed out. Unshare it by selecting “Review” > “Share Workbook“, then deselect “Allow changes by more than one user…“.
Otherwise, multiple worksheets are selected. Right-click any tab, then select “Ungroup Sheets“.