prevent user from deleting cells, rows

[Tax Guy-gmail]

Designed spreadsheet for another user.  User enters data in all cells.  Accidentally deletes cells, rows.  How do I prevent user from deleting cells, rows.

[#2]

Hello,

format the cells that you want the user to edit and on the Protection tab of the format dialog, untick the "Locked" tick box. Next, click Review > Protect sheet. Select the options you want to allow the user to do (the default is best most of the time) and then click OK. Now only the cells that have not been "Locked" in the Format dialog can be edited.

Does that help?

cheers, teylyn

[#3]

@Tax Guy-gmail  as I wrote above, the Protection tab is in the Format dialog, not in the ribbon. 

[#4]

I'm still looking for the format dialogue. Excel help wasn't any help guiding me to either format dialogue or protection tab. Could it be that I'm not displaying the correct information. How do I control the 4 rows at the top of my Excel screen?
I don't understand 'formatting the text'. I'm trying to prevent the user from deleting a cell but yet allow user to enter data in the cell.

[#5]

Hello,

there are several ways to open the Format dialog. 

- Right-click the cell and select "Format Cells"

- Click the icon in the lower right-hand corner of the following groups on the home ribbon: Font, Alignment, Number

- use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-1

The format dialog looks like this with the Protection tab selected. The other tabs can be used to format other aspects of the cell. 

[#6]

I guess I'm not explaining myself well.  Let's start over.

I want to prevent users from deleting cells, rows, columns.

None of the options do what I want unless I can't follow instructions!!

Format-protection-locked prevents user from entering data.  What am I missing?

I appreciate your patience!!

[#7]

If you want to prevent users from deleting rows and/or columns or making other unwanted changes, you need to protect the sheet.

By default, all cells are formatted with the "Locked" option ticked. So, before protecting the sheet, you need to format the cells that the user is allowed to edit and untick the "Locked" option in the format dialog. 

Next, click Review > Protect sheet.  

Now users can only edit cells that are not "Locked" and they cannot delete whole row and/or columns.

Does that make it clearer?

[#8]

I was able to lock rows line 7 and 8 and tested to ensure that I could enter data but not delete cell.  It worked.  The cursor moves outside the locked area but the 'rectangle' outside the protected area to enter other data without unprotecting the sheet.  Guess I'll just have to repair the spreadsheet when the user distorts it.  Thank you for your help.  Maybe I can find local help.

[#9]

really I am also looked for this question .

at last got it .

thank you very much

M.Fatih

[#10]

I've solved the protection opportunity now.  I don't know how I started this conversation and would like to start another.  2nd question -- I'm using Excel 2013 and would like to share a worksheet with a single, novice user.  I haven't found a way to add a shared user who will not do any editing, only data entry.  Google sheets seems much more user friendly.  I'm guessing I should start with REVIEW tab.

Thank you for your help. 

[#11]

Hello,

to start a new question, please click the link to "General Discussion" at the top of the page and then click the button "Start a new conversation". Please do that and paste the text of your new query into the new conversation.