Zehad Rian Jim
This tutorial will demonstrate how to encrypt an Excel file with a password. Often we have to share our Excel files with others and sharing the file can be mishandled by others. In that case, the privacy of the data can be breached. So to share the Excel files only with authorized persons, you should protect the Excel sheet with a password. Here, In this article, I will show you how to show Excel encrypt with a password.
Download Practice Workbook
You can download the practice workbook from here.
6 Effective Methods to Encrypt Excel File With Password
We’ll use a sample dataset overview as an example in Excel to understand easily. For instance, we have Day in column B, Salesman in column C, and Wages Per Day in column D. If you follow the steps correctly, you should learn how to show Excel encrypt with a password on your own. Now let’s discuss all the methods below.
1. Encrypt Spreadsheet With a Password
For this case, our goal is to show Excel encrypt with a password by encrypting the spreadsheet with a strong password. We will discuss the whole method below.
- First, click on the File tab from the ribbon.
- Next, press the Info button from the expanded File option.
- Subsequently, the Info window will open. Now, click on Protect Workbook > choose Encrypt with Password.
- After that, the Encrypt Document window will open. It will ask you to set a password. Enter your password in the text box and click on the OKÂ option.
- Again, the Confirm Password window will open. Reenter your password inside the text box and press the OKÂ option.
- Lastly, if you open the file you will find your workbook with proper encryption.
Thus, every worksheet in your workbook will be encrypted with a password. You will see that anybody who opens the file now, will be asked to enter the password. And only after giving the password, the file will open.
2. Making Spreadsheet As Read-Only to Encrypt Excel File With Password
Next, we want to show Excel encryption with a password by making a spreadsheet as a read-only option. Let’s discuss the whole method by following the below steps.
Steps:
- First, open the Info window following the process of Method 1.
- Â Second, in the Info window, choose the Protect Workbook>Always Open Read-Only options.
- Last, when opening the file again, it will show you a message warning you to open the file as a read-only file.
Hence, your file will be encrypted with a password in Read-Only mode.
Read More: How to Create Encryption Function in Excel (With Easy Steps)
3. Protecting Excel Worksheets to Encrypt Excel File With Password
Now, we aim to show Excel encryption with a password by the use of protect worksheet feature. The steps are described below sequentially.
Steps:
- To begin with, select the File Tab option.
- In addition, go to the Save As option from the expanded File tab.
- Furthermore, click on the Tools option from the Save As window and select General Options… from the listed options.
- Subsequently, in the General Options, you can set or edit the password and press OK.
- Afterward, in the Confirm Password window, again enter the same password into the Reenter Password to modify portion and press OK.
- Lastly, you will see find the following result if you open the Excel file.
This is how we can encrypt an Exel file with a password by the use of protect worksheet feature.
4. Encrypt Excel File With Password With Customized Permissions
Moreover, we can also show Excel encryption with a password by using the customized permissions of excel. We will discuss the whole method below.
Steps:
- Firstly, go to the Review tab>Protect Sheet options.
- After that, in the Protect Sheet dialog box, enter the Password to unprotect the sheet option and also tick the selected checkboxes accordingly and press OK.
- Concurrently, the Confirm Password window will open. Reenter your password and click on the OKÂ option.
- Lastly, if you open the file you will find your workbook with proper encryption.
Consequently, your worksheet will be encrypted with allowable permissions.
5. Encryption of Specific Cells in Worksheet
Again, we can show Excel encryption with a password for specific cells by following the below steps.
Steps:
- To begin with, select the cells you want to remain editable. Then right-click on the mouse and choose Format Cells… from the context menu.
- In addition, go to the Protection tab from the Format Cells Now, uncheck the locked option tick and click OK.
- Finally, if you open the file you will find your workbook with proper encryption.
Hence, specific cells of your file will be encrypted with a password.
Read More: How to Encrypt Cell Contents in Excel (2 Useful Methods)
6. Applying Mark as Final Feature to Encrypt Excel File With Password
In our last method, we will try to show Excel encryption with a password by applying Mark as the Final Feature of the spreadsheet. To do so, we can follow the below steps
Steps:
- First, open the Info window following the process of Method 1.
- Concurrently, in the Info window, choose the Protect Workbook>Always Open Read-Only options.
- Afterward, in the Info window, choose Protect Workbook>Mark as Final options.
- Lastly, if you open the file you will find your workbook with proper encryption. You will be warned that this file is marked as final, whenever you open the file.
Therefore, your file will be encrypted with a password by using the Mark as Feature spreadsheet.
How to Enable Protect Workbook Structure
You can also protect your workbook structure. In this way, you can still edit the values of cells, but you can not access the structural commands. Follow the below steps to do so:
Steps:
- First, open the Info window following the process of Method 1.
- Second, in the Info window, choose Protect Workbook>Protect Workbook Structure options.
- Fourth, the Protect Structure and Windows window will open. Here, you can see, that the tick mark is on the Structure option only. Now, you can enter a password in the text box and click on OK It is optional to put a password in this approach.
- Fifth, if you, set a password, then Confirm Password window will open. Reenter your password in the text box and click on the OK
- Last, if you open the file you will find your workbook with proper encryption.
Thus, you have enabled the Protect Workbook Structure option in your spreadsheet.
Things to Remember
- Using the ‘Protect Sheet’ option will protect only that sheet. If you want to protect all sheets of a workbook then select the ‘Protect Workbook’ option.
- You can set passwords of any length, character, or number, but keep in mind passwords are case-sensitive.
- To unprotect the sheet, you have to enter the password. Follow this article for help.
Conclusion
Henceforth, follow the above-described methods. These methods will help you to show Excel encrypt with a password. We will be glad to know if you can execute the task in any other way. Follow the ExcelDemy website for more articles like this. Please feel free to add comments, suggestions, or questions in the section below if you have any confusion or face any problems. We will try our best to solve the problem or work with your suggestions
