Elements you can protect in worksheets and workbooks

Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells    When selected, prevents users from:

• Making changes to cells that you did not unlock before protecting the worksheet, unless you've granted a specific user permission to edit to the cells in the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog box.

• Viewing rows or columns that you hid before you protected the worksheet.

• Viewing the formulas for the cells for which you hid the formulas before you protected the worksheet.

Select locked cells    When cleared, prevents users from moving the pointer to cells for which the Locked check box is selected on the Protection tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

Select unlocked cells    When cleared, prevents users from moving the pointer to cells for which the Locked check box is cleared on the Protection tab of the Format Cells dialog box. When users are allowed to select unlocked cells, they can press the TAB key to move between the unlocked cells on a protected worksheet.

Format cells    When cleared, prevents users from changing any of the options in the Format Cells or Conditional Formatting dialog boxes. If you applied conditional formats before you protected the worksheet, the formatting continues to change when a user enters a value that satisfies a different condition.

Format columns    When cleared, prevents users from using any of the commands on the Column submenu of the Format menu, including changing column width or hiding columns.

Format rows    When cleared, prevents users from using any of the commands on the Row submenu of the Format menu, including changing row height or hiding rows.

Insert columns    When cleared, prevents users from inserting columns.

Insert rows    When cleared, prevents users from inserting rows.

Insert hyperlinks    When cleared, prevents users from inserting new hyperlinks, even in unlocked cells.

Delete columns    When cleared, prevents users from deleting columns. Note that if Delete columns is protected and Insert columns is not also protected, a user can insert columns that he or she cannot delete.

Delete rows    When cleared, prevents users from deleting rows. Note that if delete rows is protected and insert rows is not also protected, a user can insert rows that he or she cannot delete.

Sort    When cleared, prevents users from using any of the Sort commands on the Data menu, or the Sort buttons on the Standard toolbar. Users can't sort ranges containing locked cells on a protected worksheet, regardless of this setting.

Use AutoFilter    When cleared, prevents users from using the drop-down arrows to change the filter on an AutoFiltered range. Users cannot create or remove AutoFiltered ranges on a protected worksheet, regardless of this setting.

Use PivotTable reports    When cleared, prevents users from formatting, changing the layout, refreshing, or otherwise modifying PivotTable reports, or creating new reports.

Edit objects    When cleared, prevents users from:

• Making changes to graphic objects— including maps, embedded charts, shapes, text boxes, and controls— that you did not unlock before you protected the worksheet. For example, if a worksheet has a button that runs a macro, you can click the button to run the macro, but you cannot delete the button.

• Making any changes, such as formatting, to an embedded chart. The chart continues to update when you change its source data.

• Adding or editing comments.

Edit scenarios    When cleared, prevents users from viewing scenarios that you have hidden, making changes to scenarios that you have prevented changes to, and deleting these scenarios. Users can edit the values in the changing cells, if the cells are not protected, and add new scenarios.

Note  If you run a macro that includes an operation that's protected on the worksheet, a message appears and the macro stops running.

Contents    When selected, users are prevented from making changes to items that are part of the chart, such as data series, axes, and legends. The chart continues to reflect changes made to its source data.

Objects    When selected, prevents users from making changes to graphic objects— including shapes, text boxes, and controls— unless you unlock the objects before you protect the chart sheet.