MS-Excel / General Formatting

Protecting a workbook's structure

To prevent others (or yourself) from performing certain actions in a workbook, you can protect the workbook's structure. When a workbook's structure is protected, the user may not

  • Add a sheet
  • Delete a sheet
  • Hide a sheet
  • Unhide a sheet
  • Rename a sheet
  • Move a sheet

To protect a worksheet's structure:

  1. Choose Review> Changes> Protect Workbook and click on Protect Structure and Windows to display the Protect Workbook dialog box.

    Protect Workbook Dialog Box
  2. In the Protect Workbook dialog box, place a check mark next to Structure.
  3. Enter a password, if desired and Click ok.

To unprotect the workbook's structure, choose Review> Changes> Protect Workbook and click on Protect Structure and Windows for Unprotect Workbook. If the workbook's structure was protected with a password, you are prompted to enter the password.

Protecting a workbook's windows

To prevent others (or yourself) from changing the size or position of a workbook's windows, you can protect the workbook's windows:

  1. Choose Review> Changes> Protect Workbook and click on Protect Structure and Windows.
  2. In the Protect Workbook dialog box, place a check mark next to Windows.
  3. Enter a password, if desired and Click ok.

When a workbook's windows are protected, the user can't change anything related to the window size or position. For example, if the workbook window is maximized when the windows are protected, the user cannot unmaximize the window. The windows can, however, be zoomed.

To unprotect the workbook's windows, choose Review> Changes> Protect Workbook and click on Protect Structure and Windows for Unprotect Workbook. If the workbook's windows were protected with a password, you are prompted to enter the password.

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]