Locking Column Width and Row Height in Excel
By default, all cells in an Excel sheet are locked, but this doesn’t take effect until the sheet is protected. To customize protection, start by unlocking all the cells.
- Select All Cells: Click the Select All button (triangle icon at the top-left corner of the spreadsheet).
- Open Format Cells:
- Right-click anywhere in the sheet and choose Format Cells, or
- Navigate to the Home tab, and click the Format Cells launcher (small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Number group).
- Unlock Cells:
- Go to the Protection tab.
- Uncheck the box for Locked.
- Click OK.
Step 2: Protect Column and Row Sizes
Once the cells are unlocked, enable protection for column widths and row heights while keeping other functionality editable.
- Go to the Review Tab: Click the Review tab on the ribbon.
- Protect the Sheet:
- Select Protect Sheet in the Protect group.
- Enter a password (optional, but recommended).
- In the options list, check the box for Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells.
- Uncheck all options except:
- Format Columns (prevents resizing of columns).
- Format Rows (prevents resizing of rows).
- Click OK to apply the protection.
Result
- Protected: Columns and rows cannot be resized by dragging or formatting options.
- Editable: You can still enter and modify data in the unlocked cells.
This method ensures that your spreadsheet maintains a consistent appearance without accidental changes to column widths or row heights.