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222 Part IV: Managing and Securing Data
When you’re dealing with a spreadsheet whose data is of a sensitive nature and should
not be modified by any of those authorized to open it, you need to set both a password
for opening and a password for modifying the workbook file. You assign either one or
both of these types of passwords to a workbook file at the time you save it with the
File➪Save As command on the Excel menu bar.

A password-protected workbook file for which you can’t reproduce the correct pass-
word is the ultimate nightmare (especially if you’re talking about a really important
spreadsheet with loads and loads of vital data), so, for heaven’s sake, don’t forget your
password or you’ll be stuck. Excel does not provide any sort of command for overrid-
ing the password and opening a protected workbook, nor does Microsoft offer any
such utility. If you think that you might forget the workbook’s password, be sure to
write it down somewhere and keep that piece of paper in a secure place (preferably
under lock and key). It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to pass-
words for opening files.

Try It

Exercise 17-1: Assigning a Password for Opening and Editing a Workbook
If Excel is not currently running, launch the program and then open Exercise17-1.xls in
your Chapter 17 folder in the My Practice Spreadsheets folder on your hard disk or in
the Excel Workbook folder on the workbook CD-ROM. This workbook contains a copy
of the Employee Data List, Salary Subset, and Department Subset worksheets you cre-
ated when completing Exercise 16-7 in the previous chapter. You will use this file to
practice assigning a password for opening the workbook and another for editing its
worksheets:

1. Choose the Excel File➪Save As command to open the Save As dialog box.
2. Replace Exercise in the filename Exercise17-1.xls with Solved so that you save
the password-protected workbook with new filename Solved17-1.xls in your
Chapter 17 folder.
Microsoft has cleverly hidden the password-protecting settings in the Save
Options dialog box that you can only access by selecting the General Options
item on the Tools drop-down list on the Save As dialog box’s toolbar.
3. Click the Tools drop-down button on the toolbar at the top of the Save As dialog
box and then select General Options on its drop-down list to open the Save
Options dialog box.
The Save Options dialog box contains a Password to Open and a Password to
Modify text box where you can enter these passwords. In addition, this dialog
box contains a Always Create Backup check box that, when checked, tells Excel
to automatically make a backup copy of the workbook you’re saving to disk (that
you can use in the event that the original file is corrupted and becomes inopera-
ble). The Read-Only Recommended check box, when checked, assigns read-only
status to the workbook you’re saving (preventing you from saving changes to the
file without either changing its filename or the folder in which it is located).
4. Type opensesame (all lowercase letters) as the password in the Password to
Open text box and then select the Password to Modify text box.
Note that Excel automatically masks each character as you type it by replacing
it with a dot. Keep in mind that all passwords are case-sensitive; for example,
the passwords opensesame, Opensesame, and OpenSesame are three different
passwords.