Can specific cells on a worksheet be hidden & password protected?

[Ann]

I have created a password protected worksheet. Now I'm trying to hide
information on the worksheet and protect those cells so that they can only be
viewed and edited by entering a password for those fields.

[haleswd]

I need help with this question also. Can someone with some knowledge please post the answer to this question?

Thanks

[dominicb]

Good evening halswd / Ann

Yes, it can be done. When you select Tools > Protect > Protect Sheet, Excel only protects cells that are locked. When you open a new workbook ALL cells are locked by default, so yo need to unlock the cells you don't want protecting. Highlight all the cells that want to be unprotected (using ctrl to select multiple ranges) and press ctrl + 1. Go to Protection, uncheck the locked box and click OK.

Now go to Tools > Protect > Protect Sheet. Once protection is invoked, only the cells that are locked will have the protection set against them.

HTH

DominicB

[haleswd]

Thanks dominicb, but that only answers half of the question. I know those cells could be protected, but how would a person hide them, and have them only be able to view the data with a password.

I tried Tools > Protection > Allow Users to Edit Ranges...

This would work, if I was able to hide them, but I can't figure out how. Any Idea on how to go about doing this?

Thanks for any help that you will be able to give me.

[swatsp0p]

haleswd:

Individual cells cannot be hidden; only rows, columns, sheets are 'hide-able'. You could change the font color to 'hide' the text (e.g. white font on white fill color) then Lock those cells and uncheck "Select Locked Cells" when you Protect the sheet to prevent users from being able to navigate into those cells.

HTH

Possibly, putting the data you want hidden on another sheet and hiding that sheet may be a better option, depending on your specific situation. What is in the cells to hide? How many are there? etc. are question to answer to determine the best course of action.

Bruce

[dominicb]

Hello all

The other way to disguise information in cells is to set the number format to ;;; (using ctrl + 1, Number, Custom format). This basically makes the cell contents invisible.

Also remember that any protection using the methods we've suggested is not at all difficult to bypass. It will keep out casual users but if someone really wants to see the information a sheet can be unprotected in seconds.

HTH

DominicB

[Gord Dibben]

When in the protection tab under Format>Cells checkmark the "Hidden" option so
they don't show up in the formula bar.

Then set the font to white and protect the sheet with a password.

The user enters the password and unprotects the sheet and formats the font
color to something readable.

This could all be done with a macro if desired.

NOTE: password protection on worksheets/workbooks is very easily broken.

Do not rely on this to prevent users from getting at sensitive data.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 13:46:55 -0500, haleswd
<haleswd.1rpneu_1120590500.7412@excelforum-nospam.com> wrote:

>
>Thanks dominicb, but that only answers half of the question. I know
>those cells could be protected, but how would a person hide them, and
>have them only be able to view the data with a password.
>
>I tried Tools > Protection > Allow Users to Edit Ranges...
>
>This would work, if I was able to hide them, but I can't figure out
>how. Any Idea on how to go about doing this?
>
>Thanks for any help that you will be able to give me.