To lock specific cells in a worksheet (so users can enter data in unlocked cells): You can also right-click a sheet tab and choose Unprotect Sheet from the menu. Click Unprotect Sheet on the Review tab in the Ribbon.Display the worksheet you want to unprotect.If you try to edit locked cells, a dialog box will appear indicating that the cell or chart you're trying to change is on a protected sheet. The Protect Sheet dialog box appears as follows: You will be unable to enter or change data or formulas in the locked cells. Enter the password again if you entered in a password in the previous step.Passwords are case sensitive and you should keep a copy of your passwords. Enter a password if you want (you will need to set a password if you don't want others to be able to unprotect the sheet).

Be sure to scroll down to see all of the available options.

Check or uncheck the desired options (it's usually best to leave the first two checked).

In the Changes group, click Protect Sheet.

Right-click any of the selected cell(s) and choose Format Cells or press Ctrl + 1.

Press Ctrl + A to select all (you may need to press Ctrl + A twice).

Display the worksheet with the cells you want to lock.Recommended article: How to Password Protect Your Excel Worksheets and Workbooksĭo you want to learn more about Excel? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person classroom Excel courses > Lock all cells in a worksheet You can opt to use a password when locking cells but you don't have to use a password.

First, unlock the cells where you want to allow users to make changes to the data or formulas and then lock the remaining cells by protecting the worksheet. It's easy to lock cells in Excel to protect data or formulas.

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