software

Have a workbook with 12 worksheets. Suddenly find that 3 cells are read
only, protected or something. Unable to unlock those 3 cells. Anyone got any
ideas? TIA

--
MMAPHQ

WWW.MMAP.ORG
Tools|Protection|unprotect sheet
(You may need to supply a password)

TED MEDIN wrote:
gt;
gt; Have a workbook with 12 worksheets. Suddenly find that 3 cells are read
gt; only, protected or something. Unable to unlock those 3 cells. Anyone got any
gt; ideas? TIA
gt;
gt; --
gt; MMAPHQ
gt;
gt; WWW.MMAP.ORG

--

Dave Peterson


quot;Dave Petersonquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; Tools|Protection|unprotect sheet
gt; (You may need to supply a password)
gt;
Not the problem. Only 3 cells of the column are protected (?). Rest of the
column is unprotected (or something).
All the sheets are supposedly the same amp; only the DEC sheet has this
problem.
Cells can be locked or unlocked.
Worksheets can be protected or unprotected.

You can have a bunch of unlocked cells on a protected worksheet so that you can
type anything you want into them. That protected sheet could have 3 locked
cells that can't be changed.

Did you look at the menu to see if quot;unprotect sheetquot; is shown?

If it isn't (you'd see quot;protect sheetquot;), then it's not the worksheet protection.

But I don't have a guess what it could be. Maybe you could explain what happens
when you try to change these cells. (Developers could do their best to keep you
out of those cells without locking the cell and protecting the sheet.)

TED MEDIN wrote:
gt;
gt; quot;Dave Petersonquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; Tools|Protection|unprotect sheet
gt; gt; (You may need to supply a password)
gt; gt;
gt; Not the problem. Only 3 cells of the column are protected (?). Rest of the
gt; column is unprotected (or something).
gt; All the sheets are supposedly the same amp; only the DEC sheet has this
gt; problem.

--

Dave Peterson

Lets see if I can explain this better:

We have a column that we enter data into. There are several hundred cells in
that col.
When we try to enter data in 3 of the cells we get: 'the cell or chart you
are ... is protected amp; therefore read-only'.

Yes we can go up to protection amp; unprotect the sheet amp; then enter data.

So how did those 3 cells get locked amp; how can we unlock those 3 cells? TIA

quot;Dave Petersonquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; Cells can be locked or unlocked.
gt; Worksheets can be protected or unprotected.
gt;
gt; You can have a bunch of unlocked cells on a protected worksheet so that
gt; you can
gt; type anything you want into them. That protected sheet could have 3
gt; locked
gt; cells that can't be changed.
gt;
gt; Did you look at the menu to see if quot;unprotect sheetquot; is shown?
gt;
gt; If it isn't (you'd see quot;protect sheetquot;), then it's not the worksheet
gt; protection.
gt;
gt; But I don't have a guess what it could be. Maybe you could explain what
gt; happens
gt; when you try to change these cells. (Developers could do their best to
gt; keep you
gt; out of those cells without locking the cell and protecting the sheet.)
gt;
gt; TED MEDIN wrote:
gt;gt;
gt;gt; quot;Dave Petersonquot; gt; wrote in message
gt;gt; ...
gt;gt; gt; Tools|Protection|unprotect sheet
gt;gt; gt; (You may need to supply a password)
gt;gt; gt;
gt;gt; Not the problem. Only 3 cells of the column are protected (?). Rest of
gt;gt; the
gt;gt; column is unprotected (or something).
gt;gt; All the sheets are supposedly the same amp; only the DEC sheet has this
gt;gt; problem.
gt;
gt; --
gt;
gt; Dave Peterson
I'd say that someone locked those cells--maybe it was an accident.

One way would be to select a range (all three cells if you want), then:
Edit|clear|All

When you clear all, it resets the cell to the normal style. And unless you've
changed that normal style, the cell will be locked.

One solution is to change the normal style so that the default quot;lockednessquot; is
not locked. Another is to train the users to not use edit|clear|all. Just use
Edit|clearcontents or hit the delete key.

To unlock those cells, you'll have to unprotect the worksheet first.
Then select the 3 cells
format|cells|protection tab|uncheck Locked
then reprotect the worksheet.

You still may have to know the password.mmap hq wrote:
gt;
gt; Lets see if I can explain this better:
gt;
gt; We have a column that we enter data into. There are several hundred cells in
gt; that col.
gt; When we try to enter data in 3 of the cells we get: 'the cell or chart you
gt; are ... is protected amp; therefore read-only'.
gt;
gt; Yes we can go up to protection amp; unprotect the sheet amp; then enter data.
gt;
gt; So how did those 3 cells get locked amp; how can we unlock those 3 cells? TIA
gt;
gt; quot;Dave Petersonquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; Cells can be locked or unlocked.
gt; gt; Worksheets can be protected or unprotected.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; You can have a bunch of unlocked cells on a protected worksheet so that
gt; gt; you can
gt; gt; type anything you want into them. That protected sheet could have 3
gt; gt; locked
gt; gt; cells that can't be changed.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Did you look at the menu to see if quot;unprotect sheetquot; is shown?
gt; gt;
gt; gt; If it isn't (you'd see quot;protect sheetquot;), then it's not the worksheet
gt; gt; protection.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; But I don't have a guess what it could be. Maybe you could explain what
gt; gt; happens
gt; gt; when you try to change these cells. (Developers could do their best to
gt; gt; keep you
gt; gt; out of those cells without locking the cell and protecting the sheet.)
gt; gt;
gt; gt; TED MEDIN wrote:
gt; gt;gt;
gt; gt;gt; quot;Dave Petersonquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; gt;gt; ...
gt; gt;gt; gt; Tools|Protection|unprotect sheet
gt; gt;gt; gt; (You may need to supply a password)
gt; gt;gt; gt;
gt; gt;gt; Not the problem. Only 3 cells of the column are protected (?). Rest of
gt; gt;gt; the
gt; gt;gt; column is unprotected (or something).
gt; gt;gt; All the sheets are supposedly the same amp; only the DEC sheet has this
gt; gt;gt; problem.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; --
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Dave Peterson

--

Dave Peterson

gt; To unlock those cells, you'll have to unprotect the worksheet first.
gt; Then select the 3 cells
gt; format|cells|protection tab|uncheck Locked
gt; then reprotect the worksheet.

Ok that's what I needed to know. Thanks