Learn how to lock Excel files and secure your data with password protection.

Your Excel file contains vital information, and you want to safeguard it. Unsure how to set a password? Discover how to lock and password-protect your Excel files effectively.

Explore this guide on locking Excel files to ensure your documents remain secure.

Setting a password for your Excel file

Method 1

Step 1: Select File -> Info -> Protect Workbook -> Encrypt with Password on the Excel file you want to password-protect.

Step 2: A dialog box titled Encrypt Document will appear. Enter the password you wish to set for your Excel file in the field labeled Password and click OK.

Step 3: In the Confirm Password dialog box, re-enter your password in the Reenter password field and click OK.

Once you've finished setting up, remember to save the file to apply the changes. When you reopen the file, Excel will prompt you to enter the password. Enter the correct password to access the file.

Method 2

Step 1: On the Excel file you want to password-protect, select File -> Save As -> Browse or press F12 to open the Save As window.

Step 2: In the Save As window, choose the location to save the Excel file, then set the file name in the File name section. Next, select Tools -> General Options.

Step 3: In the General Options dialog box, you can create a password for the Excel file by entering a password in the Password to open box if you want to create a password to open the file, or enter a password in the Password to modify box if you want to create a password to modify the Excel file. You can create both passwords if desired. Then, click OK.

In the Confirm Password – Reenter password to proceed dialog box, re-enter the password you entered in the Password to open box and click OK.

In the Confirm Password – Reenter password to modify dialog box, re-enter the password you entered in the Password to modify box and click OK to confirm.

Then, select Save to save the file.

Step 4: When you open a password-protected Excel file, you'll be prompted to enter the password.

If you've set a password in the Password to modify box, you'll receive a prompt to enter the password as shown below. Select Read Only if you only want to read the file without editing, or enter the correct password if you wish to edit the file.

Removing password protection from an Excel file

To remove the password set for an Excel file, you still need to enter the password to log in to the Excel file. On the Excel file, select File -> Info -> Protect Workbook -> Encrypt with Password.

In the Encrypt Document dialog box, delete the characters in the box under Password and click OK to finish.

Set password to lock sheet

Method 1: Open the sheet you want to set a password for, select the Review -> Protect Sheet tab.

Method 2: Right-click on the Sheet name below and select Protect Sheet.

Step 2: The Protect Sheet dialog box will appear. Enter the password in the box under Password to unprotect sheet (password to unlock sheet). In the Allow all users of this worksheet to section, choose the sheet lock attributes you want to protect. Then, click OK.

Step 3: In the Confirm Password dialog box, re-enter the password in the box under Reenter password to proceed -> OK.

This allows you to view the Sheet, but you won't be able to perform the protection options selected in Step 2 without entering the correct protection sheet password. To unlock the protection sheet, right-click on the sheet name -> Unprotect Sheet or select Review -> Unprotect Sheet.

In the Unprotect Sheet dialog box, enter the protection password in the Password field and click OK.

To remove sheet protection password, unlock the sheet and press the Ctrl + S combination to save the file again.

This article has shared with you how to lock files, set passwords to protect your Excel files, and how to lock sheets to protect your sheet. We hope this article will be helpful to you. Wish you success!