How to Easily Password Protect an Excel File
How to Easily Password Protect an Excel File
One of the most popular spreadsheet apps for decades, Microsoft Excel has not only made it easier to enter, manipulate, and organize data (even though it really is) throughout its life. , has developed various methods to further increase user interest. Better protect the information you use in your spreadsheets. This includes adding password protection to Excel files.
Whether you’re dealing with highly sensitive or privileged data, or you’re trying to protect your contact details from the bad guys, simply let others access your spreadsheet without your explicit permission. Set a password even if you don’t want to be able to access the . Your job is relatively easy.
The only limitation is that if you lose or forget your password, you are at your own risk. Excel cannot retrieve the password information and there is no “forgot password” option to replace the password with a new one. So if you protect your Excel files, remember it or track it in some other way. If you set a password, you will have to enter the password every time you open the protected file.
Password protecting an Excel document
Adding password protection to your Excel document makes little difference. You can create a new document and set a password immediately, or access an existing document later to add protection. This process is the same for Windows and macOS.
1. With the Excel file open select File in the top-left corner of the screen, followed by Info.
2. Select Protect Workbook, then choose Encrypt with Password.
3. Enter the password you want to use, then select OK.
4. Re-enter the password to confirm and select OK.
5. Alternatively, select the Review tab along the top of the document and then choose Protect Workbook (to protect all the worksheets in your current workbook) or Protect Sheet (to protect just one sheet).
6. Type in the password you want to use and select OK, then re-enter the password when prompted and select OK again to confirm.
You’ll know that your worksheet (or workbook) is protected if the Protect Sheet (or Protect Workbook) icon in the Review tab is highlighted.
Removing password protections from an Excel document
If you decide that you no longer need to password protect your Excel spreadsheet, you can remove the password. However, you will have to re-enter the password you originally assigned. So be careful not to lose it before removing the restriction. forget it.
1. Open the document you want to remove password protection from (you’ll need to enter the password to do so).
2. Select the Review tab at the top of the page. For an individual spreadsheet, select Protect Sheet followed by Unprotect Sheet to remove password protections.
3. For a workbook composed of multiple spreadsheets, select Protect Workbook followed by Unprotect Workbook.
4. Enter the Workbook password again when prompted and select OK to remove protections.
Note that once the password protection is removed, anyone with access to the Excel file will be able to open, view, and edit the file. If you decide you don’t need passwords anymore, you’re probably fine.
