Protecting an Excel document as a form

[Mike Harlan]

I created an Excel document as a form. There are some
form fields, check boxes and dropdown lists included on
the form. I have locked every cell in which I do not want
people making changes, and have left others unlocked so
that end users can enter data. I did this so that other
aspects of the form cannot be modified, and so formulas
cannot be overwritten. Now what I am finding is that
users are opening the form, highlighting the entire form,
copying it, and pasting it into a new document. This
gives them free reign to do whatever they want to the
form. Is there a way to prevent this? I have tried
protecting the sheet, and the workbook, but neither
prevents what I have described.

 

[Dave Peterson]

I don't think you can.

You may want to protect the worksheet with no password. Tell the users how to
unprotect the worksheet, let them make their formatting changes, and tell them
how to reprotect the worksheet.

Make sure that they understand if they break it, they bought it. And that the
protection is there to stop bad things--overwriting formulas.

If you really don't want them to change the format, then I think I'd complain to
the boss and explain why it's important. If he/she agrees, maybe you can scare
the users with a few threats from the person in charge.