Protection - checkboxes, radio buttons, etc. don't work

[cannon_fodder]

I'm working in Excel 2003 and have never programmed with VBA. Thus, I've relied on whatever the Excel interface gives me.

I've protected the 3 sheets in my workbook and allowed only a few cells to remain unlocked for user input. However, I haven't found a way to protect the text on forms/controls such as checkboxes and radio buttons (I've tried both forms hoping it would work).

I definitely want the user to be able to check a box or select a button within a group, but I don't want them to be able to modify the location, text or properties of the control.

In my vain attempts, I either have a scenario by which they can do anything they want (which is not what I want!) or they can select a checkbox/radio button, but it generates an error and it does not change the value of the linked cell.

Am I going to need to roll up the sleeves and finally bite the VBA programming bullet or am I missing something obvious?

 

[DDonnachie]

How do u mean protect the text on the forms controls ?
Are you displaying it but don't want them to edit ?
If the values are not being passed through to the cell then have you unlocked the destination cell ?

 

[cannon_fodder]

Bingo! You got it.

I had wanted to protect the actual control itself so that they couldn't edit the caption nor move it around, etc.

What I hadn't realised, is that you can lock the control as long as you unlock the linked cell. I thought the property of locking was supposed to be attached to the control itself.

So, it does work very well without any programming by locking the control but unlocking the linked cell. I've tried to hide the linked cells away so that they aren't accidentally deleted, removed, or tampered with.

 

[DDonnachie]

so u sorted then ?

apparently an old favourite at one of my customers sites was to put stuff in white text.
Personally I would suggest sticking the destination cells on a seperate sheet and hiding it.

 

[cannon_fodder]

Yes, the problem is solved.

I actually put them in white text and hid them behind a protected graph.

Thank you!