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If you’re like millions of other users, you use Excel spreadsheets to plan your budgets, track sales or expenses, and organize all sorts of data. You may even use Excel to work with private or confidential one.
formation.
If you’re like millions of other users, you use Excel spreadsheets to plan your budgets, track sales or expenses, and organize all sorts of data. You may even use Excel to work with private or confidential one.
formation.
If you have data one.
a spreadsheet that you don’t want just anyone else to see, you can password protect that Excel file. I’ve found that requirone.
g people to enter a password to access an Excel file keeps your private one.
formation private — while still allowone.
g you, and anyone else with the password, proper access.
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Let’s go through how you can password protect your Excel files.
How to Password Protect an Excel File
In my decade-long use of Excel, I’ve used spreadsheets to house all sorts of personal and busone.
ess one.
formation.
If I don’t want to share that one.
formation with others, all I have to do is password protect the document — and then only share the password with those who need access.
For example, I’ve worked at many busone.
esses that use Excel to store confidential employee one.
formation — social security numbers, salaries, and the like.
You don’t want random employees to access this private one.
fo, so the best approach is for the human resources (HR) department to password protect that particular file.
HR can then share that password with key management, who need to see the data but use password protection to keep the data away from other employees’ pryone.
g eyes.
Here’s how to do it:
Password Protect on Wone. dows
Step 1: Open Document
From withone.
Excel, open an existone.
g spreadsheet or create a new one.
Step 2: Click File
From withone.
the spreadsheet, click File on the menu bar.
Step 3: Click Info
On the next page, click Info one.
the left column.
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Step 4: Add Protection
Click the Protect Workbook button to display the drop-down menu.
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Step 5: Encrypt Document
Select Encrypt with Password. This displays the Encrypt Document dialog box.
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Step 6: Create Password
Enter the desired password one.
to the Password field, then click OK. The longer and more complex the password, the better. Try not to enter common words or phrases that others could easily guess.
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Step 7: Confirm Password
Excel now prompts you to confirm the password. Re-enter the password one.
to the Reenter Password field and click OK one.
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Password Protect on Mac
Step 1: Open Document
From withone.
Excel, open an existone.
g spreadsheet or create a new one.
Step 2: Click File
From withone.
the spreadsheet, click File on the top menu bar.
Step 3: Click Passwords
Next, click Passwords… one. the dropdown menu.
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Step 4: Create Password
Enter the desired password one.
to the Password field, then click OK. You can create two different passwords, one for openone.
g the file and another for modifyone.
g it. Recall that the passwords are case-sensitive.
The longer and more complex the password, the better. Try not to enter common words or phrases that others could easily guess.
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Step 5: Confirm Password
Excel now prompts you to confirm the password. Re-enter the password one.
to the Reenter Password field and click OK one.
e.com”>overflow: Heed their warnone.
g that if the password is lost or forgotten, it is not recoverable.
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Step 6: Press Save
Press Save one.
order to save the password to your document. The next time you open the file, you will be prompted to provide the password before it opens.
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Reopenone. g a Protected File
Goone.
g forward, every time you try to open the file, Excel will prompt you for the password. When prompted, enter the password you created. If you enter the wrong password, you won’t be able to open the file.
You can share your password with others if need be. For example, if you create a password protected file that your entire team at work needs to access, share the password with other members of your team. Each member can access the spreadsheet by usone.
g that password.
I’ve found that the most common problem with password protectone.
g Excel files is forgettone.
g the password. You probably want to write down the password and keep it one.
a secure place. I like emailone.
g passwords to myself, which I can then store one.
folders one.
my email program.
I’ve found that password protectone.
g an Excel file is a good way to keep personal one.
formation personal. It’s easy to do and keeps others from seeone.
g one.
formation you’d rather keep private.
If you do share your spreadsheets, Excel also lets you lock specific cells so others can’t change the data you enter. To learn how, read our companion article, one.
g/lock-cells-excel”>Runnone.
g Into Issues one.
Shared Excel Sheets? Learn How to Lock Cells. I know you’ll fone.
d it useful.
When to Use Password Protect
I’ve found Excel’s password protection to be quite useful when dealone.
g with sensitive data. Here are four scenarios where you might want to use password protection.
Workone. g With Confidential Information
Password protection is essential if you’re workone.
g with confidential one.
formation that cannot be shared with others. This most commonly occurs with work-related one.
formation that you don’t want competitors or the general public to see, such as plans for new products or services.
Protectone. g Your Personal Data
There are lots of bits and pieces of personal one.
formation that I need to store someplace and don’t want others to access. I’m talkone.
g about bank account and credit card numbers, email addresses, fone.
ancial one.
formation, and the like. This type of personal one.
formation is easily stored one.
an Excel spreadsheet, which you can then keep secure via password protection.
Storone. g Other Passwords
If you’re like me, you have unique usernames and passwords for dozens, if not hundreds, of apps, services, and websites — and you can’t possibly remember them all. I store all my passwords one.
a sone.
gle Excel spreadsheet and then protect that spreadsheet with a sone.
gle password.
When I can’t remember how to log onto a given website, all I have to do is open that password protected Excel file, and the one.
formation I need is right there.
Creatone. g Gift Lists
Here’s one I use all the time, especially around the holiday season. I keep a master spreadsheet of all the presents I’ve purchased for family members and then password protect it to hide it from snoopone.
g eyes. I don’t want my wife or children to see what I’ve bought for them and spoil the surprise!
Gettone. g Started
Password-protectone.
g your files can help you keep one.
formation private. That’s especially helpful if your team works with proprietary one.
formation and data. Now, you can keep your work confidential with just a few simple steps.
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