How to lock and preotect nonempty cells in Excel?
Supposing, I have a worksheet which populate some blank cells within the data range, now, I want to lock and protect all data cells, and leave the blank cells unlocked in order to input some new value. How could you only lock and protect the nonempty cells as quickly as you can in Excel?
Lock and protect all nonempty cells in a selected range with Protect Sheet
Lock and protect all nonempty cells in a used range with VBA code
Lock and protect all nonempty cells in a selected range with Protect Sheet
Normally, you can finish this job in Excel with following method step by step:
1. Select the cell range that you want to lock and protect the data cells, and then click Home > Find & Select > Go To Special, see screenshot:
2. In the Go To Special dialog box, select Blanks from the Select section, see screenshot:
3. Then click OK button, and all blank cells have been selected at once, and then press Ctrl + 1 keys to open the Format Cells dialog box, under the Protection tab, uncheck the Locked option, see screenshot:
4. Click OK, and then click Review > Protect Sheet, then enter and confirm the password as you need, see screenshot:
5. Click OK to close the dialogs, and now, all data cells have been protected and only leave the blank cells unprotected.
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Lock and protect all nonempty cells in a used range with VBA code
The above method has multiple steps, to achieve it as quickly as you can, the following VBA code can do you a favor, please do as this:
1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
2. Then click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.
VBA code: Lock and protect all nonempty cells in a worksheet
Sub UnlockEmptyCells()
'Updateby Extendoffice
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Cells.Locked = True
Selection.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeBlanks).Locked = False
ActiveSheet.Protect DrawingObjects:=True, Contents:=True, Scenarios:=True
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
3. And then press F5 key to run this code, only nonblank cells are protected at once in the used range.
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