Want to share an excel doc but hide and lock sections

[pyid]

Hello,

I hope you can help me as I have been trying with little success to solve this issue for a while now.

I have an excel 2003 spreadsheet that I want to share with another user at work, but hide and lock sections of it, while giving them the ability to update certain parts. The sharing part is fine and is up and running. However, I do not know how to hide certain columns so they cannot see the sensitive information contained.

Obviously I do know how "hide" and "unhide" works however when I try using the hide function and open the file at the other users location the columns are visible to that person, even though I have "hidden" them on my PC.

This is my first post so pls be gentle

Thank you all in advance for your posts. I'd be really happy if I could solve this problem because it would save me a lot of work.

Pyid

 

[Lidsavr]

pyid,
Welcome to the board! What you want to do is protect the document and put a password on it. I stopped using Excel 2003 in 2006 when I loaded Excel 2007, so most of this is from memory:

Hide the columns and/or rows that you want hidden and then "Protect the worksheet. When you do this, there will be several options to to check off. One of them will be an option that keeps users from un-hiding columns or rows. Make sure that one is checked. Then assign a password that only you know (there is an option to do this next to the check boxes). This will keep the user from opening the hidden rows and also keep them from being unhidden by the program. As memory serves, the option in 2003 to protect a worksheet or workbook is in the Tools --> Security menu option. If not, look around at the different option on Tools menu and you should find it.

WARNING! Make sure you do not forget the password (write it down somewhere)! Excel is unforgiving in that the password cannot be recovered if you forget it. You can purchase utilities that will scan and help you recover a lost password, but that is an expensive option when you usually have only one workbook with a password that is forgotten.

Good luck,

Charles

 

[pyid]

Hello Charles

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it very much.

In Tools, I have the Protect Sheet option (I presume this is what you are refering to), which I have tried to use and where I have initiated a password, but I do not see the option that keeps users from un-hiding columns or rows in the checklist.

The options it gives are to Select locked/unlocked cells, Format cells/columns/rows, Insert columns/rows/hyperlinks, Delete columns/rows, Sort, Use Auto Filter/PivotTable or Edit Objects or Scenarios.

I'm unsure which I should tick and which I should not.

I also have "Allow users to Edit ranges", which is in the Tools, Protection menus.

I must admit I'm lost, so I hope you or someone else can help me

Thanks in advance.

BR

PY