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How to set a password to protect the workbook?

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

Supposing you have an Excel file which contain some important data that you don’t want others to see, in this situation, you can set a password for the Excel file to prevent others from accessing to the workbook. But how to set a password to protect the workbook?

Set a password to protect the workbook with Save As function

Set a password to protect the workbook with Info command

arrow blue right bubble Set a password to protect the workbook with Save As function

With the Save As function in Excel, you can set a password to prevent other users from opening or modifying the workbook, please do as follows:

1. Open your workbook that you want to set a password.

2. Click File > Save As in Excel 2010 / 2013, (if you use Excel 2007, please click doc-set-password button > Save As) and a Save As dialog box will pop out, click Tools drop down list, and click General Options, see screenshots:

save as feature
arrow
save as general options

3. Then enter your password in the Password to open text box, click OK button and then confirm the password again. See screenshots:

enter password arrow reenter password

4. And then click OK to close the above two dialog box, it will return to the Save As dialog, then click Save to save the workbook with its password.

type file name

And the Excel file will set the password, when you launch this workbook next time, you need to enter the password to open it. See screenshot:

enter password next time

Note: If you want others read your workbook only and cannot modify the workbook, you can let the Password to open text box blank and set a password in the Password to modify text box in the step 3.

arrow blue right bubble Set a password to protect the workbook with Info command

Here is another method can help you to set a password for the Excel document, do as this:

1. Launch your workbook that you want to set a password.

2. Click File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password in Excel 2010 / 2013, see screenshot:

info feature

If in Excel 2007, you need to click doc-set-password > Prepare > Encrypt Document, see screenshot:

prepare 2007

3. And an Encrypt Document dialog box pops out, type your password into the Password text box, see screenshot:

enter password 2

4. Then click OK, and another Confirm Password dialog will pop out to remind entering the password for confirmation.

reenter password 2

5. Click OK to close the dialog, and then save this workbook. When you open this workbook next time, you need to have the correct password to access it.

Note:

If you want to cancel the password you have set, you just need to open your workbook with the right password. And then click File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password to open the Encrypt Document dialog, remove the password that you have set. Then save the file. See screenshots:

cancel password
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enter password to cancel password

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