Password Protect Excel Files

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How to keep an Excel workbook safe by encrypting it with a password.

This will make it so that a user cannot open the Excel file unless they have the correct password.

Steps to Encrypt a Workbook with a Password in Excel

  1. Click the File button ( in Excel 2007 this is the Office button):
    c78bfad88cc9bfc2dd16da80f48de178.jpg
  2. Go to the Info tab (in Excel 2007 this is the Prepare tab):
    d33dfce105ef074a3b74fc308c7eccff.jpg
  3. Click the Protect Workbook button (in Excel 2007 this is the Encrypt Document button):
    2864decc93f5a089e01cc786648edec7.jpg
  4.  Click the Encrypt with Password option (this step not needed for Excel 2007):
    9c6f8f7f4bf96d4e79564791a5b45dda.jpg
  5.  Enter the password that you want to use to open the Excel file and hit OK:
    9f910e6bf61f12b27f0dd6140f5bb1a4.png
  6. You will need to re-enter the password and hit OK again:
    3d11faf4a310972566090f81c1f07f6d.png
  7. That's it:
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Steps to Encrypt an Excel 2003 File

Tools > Options > Security tab > Password to Open > enter the desired password required to open the Excel file.

Notes

USE A PASSWORD THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER!!!

Do not come to us to ask for help removing the password from an Excel file!!!

Sample Workbook

We included a sample Excel file for this tutorial that has been password protected.  You can download it and see what it's like to use this feature.

The password is: 123456

(do not ever use this as a password for your files - this was done here to make it easy for you to use)


Downloadable Files: Excel File

Question? Ask it in our Excel Forum


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Downloadable Files: Excel File
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50+ Hours of Video
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