Specifying a password

In some cases, you may want to specify a password for your workbook. When a user attempts to open a password-protected workbook, a password must be entered before the file is opened.

For some reason, it seems that Microsoft wants to keep the password-protection feature a secret. Password protecting a workbook isn’t at all obvious. Here’s how to do it.

1. Choose Office => Save As to display the Save As dialog box.
2. In the Save As dialog box, click the drop-down button labeled Tools.
   
   
   
   
3. In the Tools drop-down list, select General Options to display the General Options dialog box.
   
   
   
   
4. Type the password to open and click ok. You’re asked to re-enter the password.
5. When you return to the Save As dialog box, click the Save button to save the file.

Passwords can be up to 15 characters long and are case sensitive. Be careful with this option because it is impossible to open the workbook (using normal methods) if you forget the password. Also, remember that Excel passwords can be cracked, so it’s not a perfect security measure.

The General Options dialog box has a few other features.

Always Create Backup:
If this option is checked, the existing version of the workbook is renamed before the workbook is saved. The new filename will be named for example “Backup of book1.xlk,” where book1 represents the original filename. Creating a backup enables you to go back to the previously saved version of your workbook.

Password To Modify:
This option enables you to specify a password that will be required before changes to the workbook can be saved under the same filename. Use this option if you want to make sure that changes are not made to the original version of the workbook.

Read-Only Recommended:
If this option is checked, Excel presents a dialog box suggesting that the file be opened as read-only. This is just a gentle suggestion. The person opening the file can override this suggestion if he or she likes.