MS-Excel / Excel 2003

Unlocking cells for data entry

To remove the Locked protection status from a cell range or nonadjacent selection, follow these steps:

  1. Select the range or ranges to be unlocked.
    To select multiple ranges to create a nonadjacent cell selection, hold down the Ctrl key as you drag through each range.
  2. Choose Format → Cells or press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.
  3. Select the Protection tab and then clear the Locked check box.
  4. Click OK to close the Format Cells dialog box.

Keep in mind that unlocking cells does nothing in and of itself. It's not until you turn on the protection for your worksheet that your unlocked cells work any differently from the locked ones. At that time, only unlocked cells accept the edits that you specify.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Spreadsheet Security
  2. Assigning a Password for Opening a Workbook
  3. Opening a password-protected workbook
  4. Changing or deleting passwords
  5. Protecting the Worksheet Against Unwanted Changes
  6. Unlocking cells for data entry
  7. Turning on worksheet protection
  8. Removing protection from a worksheet
  9. Enabling cell range editing by certain users
  10. Protecting the structure of the workbook file
  11. Hiding Sensitive Worksheet Data