Workbooks with Freeze Panes greyed out

The 2 attached workbooks both have Freeze Panes greyed out, if they are opened in Excel 2013. One is an .xlsx file and the other is the same workbook, saved as an Excel 97-2003 compatible .xls file. Neither has any worksheet or workbook protection, there are no macros, and both are showing in Normal view.

If either of these is opened in Excel 2010, Freeze Panes is at first not available in that version either, but the file initially displays in that version of Excel with the WindowState as 'Normal' (i.e. not maximized), which suggests the workbook is protected. Unprotecting it - either 'manually' or using VBA - then makes the Freeze Panes available as normal.

But in 2013, the WindowState is already maximized when either of these 2 files is first opened, and a 'manual' unprotect is not possible as Excel 'thinks' the workbook is already unprotected and just offers the option to protect it. Protecting and unprotecting makes no difference. Using VBA to try and unprotect it also has no effect.

In short, in Excel 2013 there seems to be no way to make it possible to change Freeze Panes for these files, either programmatically or manually.

These workbooks originated as an Excel tool I first developed in Excel 2003/2007/2010 and am upgrading for use in 2013. I cut the tool down to the bare minimum to produce these attachments, which are still behaving in the same, strange way in Excel 2013 as what I started out with.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here, and how I can address this, either programmatically and/or 'manually' as a once-and-for-all fix?? Is this some sort of Excel 2013 bug? There seems to be nothing about it on any of the various forums etc.

Many thanks,
Nelson

Click on the Review tab of the Ribbon, then on Unprotect Workbook (there doesn't seem to be a password), and then you will be able to use Freeze Panes.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Hi Pete. Your suggestion works fine in Excel 2010, but in 2013 Excel seems to think the workbook is already unprotected, and offers the options to protect it. Did you try them in 2013?

Nelson