I can\'t find a definite answer to the issue anywhere but I suspect there are ju

Question

I can't find a definite answer to the issue anywhere but I suspect there are just incompatibilities between Windows & Mac Excel.

(I'm also unsure as to whether I should have posted this in the Windows Excel Community or the Mac Excel Community).

Basically we have an Windows Excel#2010 file that we created with all but one cell protected. Cells are password protected with a 4 character password.

We have sent this file to (amongst other, mainly Windows users) 2 Mac users, using Excel for Mac 2011. They can open the file no problem but when they do ALL cells are protected, including the 1 cell that (isn't protected in Windows) we would like them to be able to change!???

Can anyone confirm what the issue is here??

Also (and this seems like a big flaw / bug) in troubleshooting this issue on the Mac we have been able to merely copy all the cells out of the protected Excel file and paste into a new Excel for Mac file and have a new, fully functioning copy of the original Windowss Excel file!?................ however I have just tested this in Windows and its also possible Windows to Windows ..................I guess this is a separate issue.

Anyway I just can't find any confirmation that it is incompatibility or otherwise.

Any info would be most appreciated

Explanation / Answer

here's what may be your confirmation -- Although I don't claim to be an authority of any sort :)

PC Excel supports worksheet protection features that have not been included in the Mac version. It sounds like you've used Range Protection [Allow Users to Edit Ranges] in the original file. Since that is one of the unavailable aspects of protection the sheet is treated as though normal Protect Sheet has been used with all cells set to Protected.

If I'm correct about the protection you've used your alternative is On your Windows system:

* Remove the current range protection
* Select the cell to be editable & clear its Protected property
*Use Protect Sheet rather than the Allow... option mentioned above.

Note, however, that will leave the cell editable to anyone who opens the file.

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