Protect Excel Files - Keep Your Reports Safe

Protect your Excel files so users don't mess up your reports and access sheets they shouldn't see.

0:48 Hide Workings Sheets
1:13 Unprotecting Cells and Objects
3:07 Protecting Sheets
4:07 Protecting the Workbook

[swiftg]

Mynda, the fact that you've had this channel since 2010, and still you take time to "like" all 55 comments says a lot about you as a person. For this reason alone you have a new subscriber, fan,
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[ashasukumaran]

I use protect sheets in most of my files but when ever I watch one of your videos I learn something new. This video did not disappoint either. Thanks for covering these little topics that we all think we know. Kudos to you.

[jessiesantos]

Another awesome tutorial by Mynda, you're absolutely an excel genius. Everyone who's watching should take advantage of this because not all instructor are rendering their service free of charge. Kudos!

[mohamedbillow]

Thank you so much for your videos. I like your approach, pace and expounding more on the topic.All your videos were helpful.Imagine watching one of your video every night before going to bed.Thank you a 1000 times.

[rajanghadi]

Very nice. As always with proper pace so that even a beginner can understand.

[swimfast]

Thanks for all the examples and explanations. Watching your videos has helped me to become proficient at excel dashboards. Your videos are clear, precise, informative and more importantly one can use your teaching right away. Congratulations!

[wayneedmondson]

Thanks Mynda. Glad you mentioned that Worksheet and Workbook protection available from the ribbon buttons is easy to bypass (it is). Also, just learned that you can now unhide more than one worksheet at a time directly from the Unhide dialog. Been waiting for that for years. Thanks for sharing :)) Thumbs up!!

[spilledgraphics]

Best video about protecting an awesome piece of work (the dashboard!). One and only tiny suggestion: hide columns from W to the last one (right) and row 36 to the last one (down), and that´s it! This "hiding columns step" I always do, to frame the area on the worksheet where the dashboard or report ...."lives & breathes..." 😝🤙 lastly good points on minute 2:00 and 2:45 for the steps in protecting the visual objects !

[martinargimon]

HI Mynda. Many Thanks for your quick tutorials, they are always very helpful and u are a superb teacher.. Thanks again ., all the best ! Martin (south africa)

[loupasternak]

Glad you reminded people that the password protection is not robust.

[aguerojg]

Great video and very useful Mynda, thank you very much for sharing these insights!

[jeremy_]

Great video! Is there any backend benefit/enhanced security by preventing any editing for the entire workbook upon initial entry (file -> passwords -> prevent editing = making it read-only) vs protecting/"locking" all sheets/ workbook from within the file itself (Review Tab -> Protect Workbook/Protect Sheet)?

Other than differences in read-only versus locking from a frontend accessibility standpoint (still can unhide arrays in read-only for example), is it more advantageous to use both forms/"layering" of security, or will the locking-features from within a file be enough?

[aviman]

Hi Mynda. Another Gold Standard tutorial. I have a workbook with a couple of slicers and a timeline but, when I try to disable resizing and moving, the tick box is greyed out.

[danielventura]

Thank you so much for your videos! It has been great help! I always learn something new or the usages of a specific tool I´d heard before.

[filipwinski]

As always, valuable and useful content !!! One of the problems I haven't found a solution anywhere is how to secure the "official" Excel table (ctrt + T) so that the user can edit the rows (add new, change or delete) but he/she is not allowed to change the table structure (headers, formats, adding or removing columns etc.).

[buttercakemonster]

Thank you so much. Well explained & easy to understand.

[jonk]

I have been looking for something like this for a long time. Thank you so much🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[NanasNumbers]

Thanks for all you do. I have a question. I know there is a way to make an Excel so that if someone sends it to another person, it will stop working. I have Excels that I sell & customers have to enter in current data. I understand how to unlock certain cells [so customers can enter current info] & lock others [so customers cannot edit or copy formulas], then protect the sheet. I also add copyright info in locked cells so that no one can resell it. But there is nothing stopping them from looking up a YouTube video on how to remove that protectection. But I know others in my same niche who create Excels & somehow they protect that Excel from being emailed to anyone else. This is exactly what I need so that no one steals my work & resells it. It's been a huge problem. I come out with a new Excel product and after a month of sales, everyone has it. The customers in my community are very close & share information, so after one person buys it, they just send it to all of their friends. I know there is a way to do this, but all the people selling Excels in this niche are very close mouthed and DON'T share knowledge.

[mattschoular]

Thanks Mynda. Keep up the great content

[buddybenmir]

You are life saver! I learned a lot from your videos. Quick question, can you also lock the way your excel looks like when you send it as attachment? Like for example, when you hide the ribbons, formula bar, headings? And even some of the changes you made in advance option when not showing the horizontal and vertical bars and sheets? Thanks in advance! 😉