Locking Column Width and Row Height in Excel
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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.