If you are now using the new Microsoft 2016/2013 to store and analyze data, you would want to add password protection to your Excel workbook to prevent the data from lost or being modified by others. Actually, there are at least four password types in Excel. So this post will show 4 ways to password protect Excel 2016/2013 workbook.
- Way 1: with Document Open Password
- Way 2: with Modify Password
- Way 3: with Structure Password
- Way 4: with sheet password
Way 1: Protect Excel 2013/2016 workbook with Document Open Password
Excel Document Open Password can protect an Excel workbook from being opened. If an Excel workbook is protected by Document Open password, anyone who wants to open the workbook must enter the right password. To add a Document Open Password to protect an Excel 2013/2016 workbook, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open the Excel workbook.
Step 2: Click File. Then select Info. Then click Protect Workbook and in the drop-down menu select Encrypt with Password.
Step 3: Enter a password and click OK. Reenter your password and click OK to confirm.
Step 4: Click Save to save the changes.
Way 2: Protect Excel 2013/2016 workbook with Modify Password
A Modify password can prevent an Excel workbook from being modified. If an Excel workbook is protected by Modify password, anyone who wants to open the workbook will be asked to enter the Modify password. If he or she don’t have the password, he/she only can open the workbook read-only and can’t be able to make any changes to the workbook. To add a Modify password to protect Excel 2013/2016 workbook, follow the steps below.
Step 1: In the Excel workbook, click Save As. Then select one location where you will save this workbook.
Step 2: In the Save As dialog, click Tools at the bottom and then select General Options.
Step 3: In the General Options dialog, enter a password in the Password to modify box and click OK. Reenter the password and click OK to confirm.
Step 4: Finally click Save to save the changes.
Way 3: Protect Excel 2013/2016 workbook with Structure Password
If an Excel workbook is secured by Structure password, anybody who wants to add, delete, rename, hide a worksheet firstly needs to unprotect the workbook with the Structure password. To add a Structure password to protect Excel 2016/2013 workbook, follow the steps below.
Step 1: In the Excel workbook, select the Review tab and then click Protect Workbook.
Step 2: In the Protect Structure and Windows dialog type a password and click OK. Reenter the password and click OK to confirm.
Step 3: Press Ctrl + S to save the changes.
Way 4: Protect Excel 2013/2016 Worksheet with Edit Password
If a Worksheet is protected, anyone who wants to edit any cells in the worksheet firstly needs to unprotect the Excel sheet with the password. To add a password to protect Excel 2013/2016 worksheet, follow the steps below.
Step 1: In the Excel workbook, click Review -> Protect Sheet.
Step 2: Enter a password for the worksheet and click OK. Reenter the password and click OK to confirm.
Step 3: Press Ctrl + S to save the changes.
The above are just four ways to protect an Excel 2013/2016 workbook with a password. Remember the password. If you unfortunately lost or forgot password in Excel 2013/2016 workbook, Microsoft doesn’t provide any features to recover the password, you have to recover, bypass, or remove the forgotten password by other tricks.