Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Saving a Workbook Using Passwords.

Saving a Workbook Using Passwords

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 4, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Excel includes a feature that allows you to save a workbook using a password so that only others who have the password can access the file. This form of protection can stop others from using a workbook unless they know your password. To save a workbook using password protection, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Save As from the File menu. Excel displays the familiar Save As dialog box.
  2. Use the controls in the dialog box to specify a file name and location, as you normally do.
  3. Click on the Tools button at the top-right corner of the Save As dialog box, and then choose General Options. Excel displays the Save Options dialog box.

If you are using Excel 97, the steps to follow are just a bit different:

  1. Choose Save As from the File menu. Excel displays the familiar Save As dialog box.
  2. Use the controls in the dialog box to specify a file name and location, as you normally do.
  3. Click on the Options button. Excel displays the Save Options dialog box.

The Save Options dialog box contains boxes where you can enter two passwords. Each password controls a different level of protection. If you fill in the first password field, you are specifying the password someone needs to know simply to open the workbook. If you fill in the second field, then someone needs to know that password to make any changes to the workbook. Understand that they can still save the open workbook under a new name, but they cannot make any changes and save them back into the same disk file.

You should set your passwords as desired, and then click on OK to dismiss the Save Option dialog box. You are asked to confirm your password, and then you can continue to save your file (using the Save As dialog box) as you normally would.

As a final caveat, you should note that none of the native (built-in) password schemes in Excel are particularly robust. If you want the best protection possible, you should look to a third-party solution for encrypting and protecting your workbooks.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2938) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Saving a Workbook Using Passwords.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Understanding Precedence

Formulas created in a macro have a specific order in which operations are performed. This is known as precedence, as ...

Discover More

Using AutoFiltering

Excel's AutoFilter tool is a great way to make a long list of items much more manageable. This tip explains how to set up ...

Discover More

Figuring Out Your IP Address

If you computer communicates over a network or over the Internet, it uses an IP address. This tip explains what an IP ...

Discover More

Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Automatically Protecting After Input

Do you want user-entered data to be immediately protected so that it cannot be changed? This can be done relatively ...

Discover More

Protecting an Entire Folder of Workbooks

Want to protect the Excel information stored in a particular folder on your system? There are a number of ways you can ...

Discover More

Using Macros in Protected Workbooks

Having problems with using macros in a protected workbook? There could be any number of causes (and solutions) as ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five more than 0?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.