How to password protect xls file. How to put a password on an Excel file. How to put a password on an excel file to protect your document

Most users have information that they would not like to share with others. Moreover, they are trying to hide it for everyone to read possible ways. In this article we will look at how to set a password on an Excel file. In fact, there is nothing complicated here. There are several ways to do this and we will analyze each of them.

In the modern Excel editor (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016), you can set a security key both for opening a file and for editing it. That is, in one case, an outsider will not be able to do anything (even see the contents), and in the other, he will only be able to read the information.

Locking a document

For this purpose you need to perform the following steps.

1. Open the document. Click on the “File” menu item.

1. Then go to the "Save As" section.

1. Next, click on the “Browse” icon.

1. In the window that appears, follow these steps:
   • Select the desired directory to save the document.
   • Specify the desired file name.
   • Click on the "Service" menu.

1. Then click on the item “ Common parameters».

1. Immediately after this, a small window will appear in which you can specify the key to both open and modify the file:

1. Enter something in the first field and click OK.

1. After this, you will be asked to confirm the previously specified text. At the same time, they will warn that there is no way to find out forgotten key, so it's a good idea to make a list of your frequently used combinations and the documents they correspond to.

1. To confirm, click on “OK”.

1. In order to save the document, you need to click on the appropriate button.

1. Close this file.

1. Try opening it again. You will be asked to enter the password you specified earlier.

1. To continue working with the document, click on “OK”.

1. Only after these steps will this Excel file become available for work.

Using this method, you completely protect your file from unauthorized persons. But there are cases when it is necessary to show the content, but at the same time prohibit editing.

To do this you need to do the following.

1. We repeat the steps described above, but this time enter the password in the second field. To continue, click on the “OK” button.

1. Confirm the security key and click on “OK”.

1. To save, click on the appropriate button.

1. Close the document.

1. Reopen it. As a result of this, you will see the following window.

1. If a stranger (or you, but forgot the code word) does not know the key, then he will have to open the file read-only. To do this, click on the appropriate button.

1. After opening the document, you will see that the title says "Read Only". At the same time, you can easily make your changes.

1. Now press the key combination Ctrl + S (save document). As a result, you will see the following error message.

This means that you can edit the document, but you cannot save it with the same name.

Locking sheets

Sometimes there are cases when something specific needs to be banned. For example, editing cells, running VBA macros or anything else, but at the same time maintaining all other functions. In this case, protecting a specific sheet will help, and not the entire document as a whole.

To do this, you need to perform the following steps.

1. Go to the review tab. Click on the “Protect Sheet” button.

1. Immediately after this, a window will appear in which you will need to indicate (uncheck the boxes) what exactly you want to prohibit. By default, only cell selection is allowed, but you can remove this if you wish.

1. In addition, you can allow:
   • formatting cells;
   • column formatting;
   • string formatting;
   • inserting columns;
   • inserting rows;
   • inserting hyperlinks;
   • removing columns;
   • deleting rows;
   • sorting;
   • using an autofilter;
   • use a pivot table and a pivot chart;
   • changing objects;
   • changing scenarios.
2. To save, click on the “OK” button.

1. The result will be visible without closing and opening the document again. Almost all tools will be unavailable. This happens on every tab.

Document encryption

The above protection is not entirely effective. If desired, a knowledgeable person can bypass it without special effort. It is much more efficient to use file encryption.

Moreover, if you open the official help Microsoft, you will see the following warning.

In order to encrypt an Excel file, you need to perform the following steps.

1. Click on the “File” menu item.

Accountant, my dear boo... sorry, I got distracted. Actually, what am I talking about? We have already discussed this in the previous article, however text documents- this is not all that requires additional protection and confidentiality.

Microsoft Excel - one of the most popular programs for working with spreadsheets, it is used both among students and among the working population. Perhaps, for students it is not so important to set a password on Excel, but for accountants who conduct unclean affairs and “shamanize” with numbers, such functionality will be very useful and necessary.

This article is one of those where you don’t need to write a lot of text. However, among us there are computer users who are far from new-fangled technologies and without an explanation of this or that point it will be difficult for them to figure out how to put a password on an Excel document. Therefore, I will try to describe in detail in a short form.

How to set a password to open an Excel file?

1. Click the “Office” button, go to the “Prepare” section and select the “Encrypt document” option:

1. The “Document Encryption” window opens, where you need to specify a password (there is an article about that for you):

1. After you have come up with a code combination and entered it, you need to confirm it:

1. The Excel file now has a password. All that remains is to save it and check that the settings are correct. If everything is correct, then when you open the file you will see the window:

If it’s difficult to come up with a code combination, use . Remember that if you lose or forget your password, you will not be able to open the file, so write it down and store it in a safe place, for example, in software -.

How to set a password to change an Excel document?

This setting is relevant for a document with which a large number of people work and allows you to set a ban on making intentional or unintentional changes. You can protect the sheet and the contents of protected cells from:

• highlighting locked or unlocked cells;
• formatting cells, rows and columns;
• inserting rows, columns and hyperlinks;
• deleting columns and rows;
• sorting;
• using AutoFilter and PivotTable reports;
• changes to objects and scripts.

To use the function:

1. Create a new or open an existing Excel workbook.
2. IN top menu select the “Review” category and go to the “Protect Sheet” section:

1. The “Sheet Protection” window opens, where you can specify a password to disable protection and mark the functions available to users:

1. When specifying a code combination, you will need to enter it again for confirmation:

1. After this, the sheet will be protected in accordance with your settings, and if prohibited actions are performed, the information window “Cell or chart is protected” will be displayed:

1. You can remove protection through the “Reviews” category and the “Unprotect sheet” button:

How to set a password to protect an Excel workbook?

The third form of spreadsheet protection is where you can ensure the safety of the Excel workbook as a whole. By setting a password, you will prohibit other users from performing any manipulations with the sheets, i.e. move, add, delete, rename and hide. To use this protection system:

1. Create a new or open an existing Excel workbook.
2. Go to the “Review” category, click “Protect Book” and select “Protect structure and windows”:

1. A settings window opens, asking you to select protection for the structure or windows. You can block changes with a password or without it. If in the first case you are guaranteed to protect the document from any user actions, then in the second case only from unintentional ones, since anyone can remove this protection if necessary:

1. It's quite easy to check if the security measures are working - click right click mouse on any of the open sheets and you will see that the commands for changing the workbook: delete, paste, rename, copy, hide, display are not available:

1. Removing protection, i.e., a password, is as simple as installing it - follow the same steps as in the second point this section and see the “Unprotect the book” window:

Best Security Measure

The only password to protect against intruders is the “password to open a document.” All other forms of security are intended more for collective work on a document and do not provide the appropriate level of protection. As an additional factor - .

Video on YouTube about how to put a password on an Excel spreadsheet from a blogger " Lyudmila Vinokurova»:

Password protecting Excel workbook(at the file level), controls access in two ways: it allows the user to log in, and it allows the user to save changes. Before we discuss Excel's password protection feature, let's be clear on what we mean by protection.

Although the terms "security" and "protection" are usually used interchangeably, functionally in Excel, they are not the same thing. Security allows you to choose who can access your data. Security restricts users to only viewing and not making changes. Security is access, protection is maintaining integrity.

To assign a password to an Excel file, follow these steps:

Step 3. In the dialog box that appears, you can set two passwords: one to open the workbook and one to edit the workbook. Advanced options allow you to set encryption options for added security.

Step 4. Enter one or both passwords and click OK.

Step 5. Confirm each password and click OK.

On a note! to open the book is self-explanatory. If the user does not know the password, he or she cannot open the file. Remember that this password only holds users back. A user who knows this password has access to all data and can change the data once.

By assigning a second password, you can allow users to open workbook and view the data, but not allow the workbook to actually be modified. A user who knows this password can view and change data and save changes to the workbook.

A user who does not know the password can view the data, but it is read-only. This user can still change the data, but a password-protected workbook will prevent the user from saving the changes. This user simply cannot save changes to the protected workbook. However, the user can enter a new name and create a new workbook.

Video - Password Protecting a Microsoft Excel File

Security at the sheet level

You can protect not only the entire file or book, but also individual sheets of the document. This is just as easy to do, look at the screenshots below.

Step 1. In the Review section, select the level of protection you require.

Step 2. Enter your password, selecting the type of protection you require.

Click on the "OK" button. From this moment on, the document or its components will be safe; no one will be able to edit them. This doesn't mean other people won't be able to access them.

Password encryption

In addition to security, Microsoft Excel allows you to encrypt a file using a separate password. This process will be irreversible if you forget your password. In this case, you will never be able to access them. Keep your password in a place inaccessible to others and don't forget it.

Setting an external password on an Excel file

In addition to the internal password, you can set up additional protection using special programs for hiding, password protection and encryption. Most of them are free and very easy to use. The table below shows the most popular programs that help protect your Excel files.

Encryption method	Description
Creating an encrypted archive	Windows XP allows you to create password-protected ZIP files. On Windows 7 you can download free third party program file compression. It's better to use the completely free and open source 7-Zip. Create new file, adding all confidential files to it and setting a password. All files will be encrypted
Encryption with TrueCrypt	Create a container that will store and protect files on your hard drive. No one will be able to access the contents of the folder without a password
FolderGuard	Powerful software computer security. It can be used to control access to files to other system resources. You can use FGuard to protect your personal documents and folders with passwords so that others cannot view or change them. You can password-protect any folder on your computer, allowing only authorized users to view protected files

Video - Protecting Cells and Sheets in Microsoft Excel

On a note

Before you start password-protecting all your books, there are three important things to keep in mind:

1. Anyone who has a password to change a workbook can also remove the password protection! Use this particular option wisely.
2. Regular users can use a password cracking program. Your best defense against this type of forgery (or theft) is to assign a very long password of random characters. This will not protect against hacking by specialized software 100%, but it will slow it down. This delay may cause a potential attacker to put off working on it.
3. If you have forgotten your password and cannot log into your book and make changes, you can purchase software to crack passwords.

Excel password protection is a great feature, and fortunately, it's easy to implement. Don't confuse protection and security, don't rely only on the internal password. There are many in various ways encryption provided by third party software.

Spreadsheets are such a transitional form between databases and their programming and collecting a bunch of rubbish in a (MS Word) Word file.

Excel is a powerful tool, and in the hands of a meticulous manager, a crazy accountant or a manic analyst, it turns into an absolute weapon against chaos and common sense :). Yes, no, I really think that Excel is not a bad thing, but sometimes out of desperation people use it beyond what it was designed for.

I also use it for the most, sometimes, strange things, sometimes so important that they need to be protected with a password. Since the password setting is located in a completely unexpected place, I will tell you where it is and how you can use it. We will talk about Excel 2007 and, apparently, even newer versions.

How to set a password to open an XLS file?

You already have a ready-made XLS file and you want to set a password. Open the office button (located on the top left with the MS Offfice 2007 login) and select “save as”. At the bottom of the “Save Document” window, next to the “save” button, there will be a “Tools” option panel.

Select the “General Settings” item, where you will be asked to set passwords for two cases - for opening a document and for changing a document.

In our case, you need to fill in the “Password for opening” field, click “OK” and repeat the password again. All is ready. All you have to do is click the “Save” button.

Now, every time you open a document, Excel will ask you for the previously set password.

How good is this password protection for an EXCEL file?

Any password protection is usually only as good as the password itself. But this axiom does not apply to early Microsoft products, because the Internet is literally replete with software that hacks office documents. IN latest versions office (starting with MS Office 2007), the developers took into account their mistakes, and now password protection is cracked using the bruteforce method ( brute force, i.e. by searching through all possible combinations or using a dictionary).

In any case, availability password protection better than not having it. The security theory is based on the fact that the more expensive (in terms of money and time) a hack costs, the more effective the protection.

If you work a lot in Excel and want to protect your documents, then you should consider protecting your files with a password.

Whether you want to restrict access to an entire document or simply prevent certain users from making changes to a file, setting up a password only takes a minute or two. If your spreadsheet falls into the wrong hands, the results can be quite disastrous, so it's worth taking the time to avoid unnecessary problems in the future.

How to protect a password from an Excel file?

Excel simplifies your spreadsheet by locking it with a password. It's just three simple steps:

1. Go to menu File > Details > Books > Encrypt with Password.
2. Enter your desired password and click OK.
3. Confirm the password.

However, depending on what you are trying to protect, the method you use may vary slightly.

Encrypt an Excel document

The most common method of providing electronic security Excel spreadsheet is encryption. This means that whenever someone opens a file, they must enter a password.

Open a document and select File > Details > Protect Workbook.

From the drop down menu select Encrypt with password, then enter the required password in the next dialog box.

After clicking OK in the next window you will need to re-enter your password.

The next time you open the document, you will be prompted to enter a password to continue.

Allow read-only access

Setting up basic encryption is fairly simple, but Excel actually offers a variety of options when it comes to password protection. For example, it is possible that someone can open a document, but editing it will not be available. Such a system is very easy to implement.

In the drop down menu select Common parameters.

Here, you noticed, there are two different fields: Password to open And Password to change. You can leave the last one blank if you want to limit editing rights without restricting access to the document itself.

The next time you open the document, you should receive a slightly different password prompt, as you can see above.

Worksheet protection

If your document contains more than one sheet, you can limit editing rights to one or more sheets, but not the entire workbook.

Go to the tab Review and press Protect sheet.

Here you can enter the desired password for the current sheet.

However, you will notice that there are also a series of tags that will allow all users to access certain features. This can be handy if you want to give them the ability to sort the columns but not make any significant changes.

Adding a Password Using VBA

Last option: Your spreadsheet uses VBA macros and you want to allow someone to edit the document itself, but you need to add extra security to the code you write. Here's how to do it.

Tab Developer > Macros.

Create a new macro. You can choose any name.

This article uses the following code:

Range("A1").Value = "Password Protected" !}

However, in practice, you simply use whatever macro you need to protect. In the Visual Basic Editor, go to Tools > VBAProject Properties.

In the tab Protection you can check a box that will allow you to lock the project for viewing Lock project for viewing. There are also fields where you can add password protection to access project properties.

It's worth noting that while such protection can be useful, it has its limitations.

Protect yourself

When it comes to an important table, it's better to be safe than sorry.

In many cases, workplaces use general access To Excel document to perform various tasks. There may be undesirable consequences if the wrong users received the file.

Yes, it will take some time to enter the password, but it's worth it. Take the time to consider whether you really need to protect the entire document or just certain sheets to avoid dire consequences.

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