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Excel Office 365 Protection Options – A Complete Guide!!

In this guide, we are going to explore the Protection Options (Encrypt Excel File, Protect Workbook , and Protect Worksheet) in Excel Office 365 with clear-cut screenshots. Get an official version of MS Excel from the following link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-365/excel

Encrypt Excel File:

Check this too: Hide/Unhide Formulas When Protecting a Worksheet

In Microsoft Excel, there are three types of encrypting ways available. They are the following:

  • Password to open – This type of encryption will ask for the password while opening a workbook.
  • *Password to modify – * If you want to modify the workbook, then you must input the password.
  • *Read-only recommended – * This encryption will allow only to read the workbook file if you don’t know the password.

To do this, you need to follow the below steps.

  • You need to open an existing workbook or create a workbook.
  • You need to click the File Tab and select the Save As option from the menu.

Save As option
Save As option

  • In the Save As Dialog Box , you need to click the Tools button and select the General Options… option.

Select General Options
Select General Options

  • Then, it will open the General Options Dialog Box.
  • Now, you need to enter a password in the “ password to open ” or “ Password to modify ” text box.

Enter the Password
Enter the Password

  • Then, you need to re-enter the password to proceed and click the OK button.

Click the OK button
Click the OK button

  • When returning to the Save As Dialog Box , you need to click the Save button.
  • Now, try to reopen the above Excel workbook , it will ask for a password so that it can continue to open.

Password Dialog Box
Password Dialog Box

  • You can make your workbook in read-only format. To do that, you need to check the Read-only recommended option in the General Options Dialog Box.

Read-only recommended
Read-only recommended

  • Finally, you need to reopen the Excel file, one window will pop-out as shown in the below image.

Prompt box
Prompt box

Protect Workbook:

In this section, we will see how to protect the workbook structure and window in Excel.

  • Protect Structure – If this option is enabled, you cannot insert, delete, rename, move or copy, hide, unhide, and set tab color in Excel.
  • *Protect window – * This option is available in Excel 2010 and earlier versions. If you check this option, you may not able to move, resize, close the current workbook window.

You can protect your workbook by doing the below steps.

  • You need to open the workbook.
  • Go to the Review tab, select the Protect Workbook option under the Protect group.

Protect Workbook option
Protect Workbook option

  • It will open the Protect Structure and Window Dialog Box.
  • Then, you need to enter a password in the Password box.

Protect Structure and Window Dialog Box
Protect Structure and Window Dialog Box

  • You need to re-type the password to confirm it.

Re-type password
Re-type password

  • If you want to unprotect the workbook, click the Protect Workbook option again. Then, enter the password to unprotect it.

Click the OK button
Click the OK button

Protect Worksheet:

If you want to protect the worksheets in Excel, then follow the below instructions.

  • On the Review tab, select the Protect Sheet option.

Protect Sheet option
Protect Sheet option

  • Then, it will display the Protect Sheet Dialog Box.
  • You need to enter the password and click the OK button.

Protect Sheet Dialog Box
Protect Sheet Dialog Box

  • Then, you need to re-enter the password to proceed.

Re-type password
Re-type password

  • Now, try to modify worksheet data, and see the result.

Prompt Box
Prompt Box

Check this too: Hide/Unhide Formulas When Protecting a Worksheet

Conclusion:

In the above guide, you can easily understand the Protection Options (Encrypt Excel File, Protect Workbook , and Protect Worksheet) in Excel Office 365 with clear-cut screenshots. Thanks for visiting Geek Excel. Keep Learning!

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