How to lock Excel columns

1. Select cell C2 (the cell below the last row and to the right of the last column to be locked).
2. Click on "View" in the top toolbar.
3. Click on the "Freeze Panes" checkbox in the dropdown menu.

Now, when scrolling through the spreadsheet, columns A and B (which contain employee names and surnames) will always remain visible. This makes it easier to quickly identify the correct employee when working with large amounts of data.

Method 3: Locking Columns Using the Ribbon

Excel offers another option for locking columns using the Ribbon. This method is particularly useful if you only want to lock one or two columns.

Here's how:

1. Select the column to the right of the column you want to lock. For example, if you want to lock column B, select column C.
2. Right-click on the Ribbon and choose "Freeze Panes".
3. The selected column to the right of the column being locked will now appear as a gray vertical line in your workspace.
4. You can now scroll left and right without ever losing sight of your locked column.

Note: This method only works if you want to lock one or two columns. If you want to lock more, you need to use the methods described above.

How to Unlock Columns in Excel

If you have locked one or more columns in Excel but now need to modify them, here's how you can unlock them:

Unlock columns with the sheet protection function

• Open the worksheet that contains the locked columns.
• Click on the "Review" tab in the Ribbon.
• In the "Protection" section, click "Protect Sheet".
• Deselect the "Lock Cells" option and click OK.
• You can now modify previously locked columns.

Unlock columns with the cell lock function

• Select the column you want to unlock.
• Right-click on the selected column and choose "Format Cells".
• In the "Format Cells" dialog box, click on the "Protection" tab.
• Deselect the "Locked" option and click OK.
• Repeat these steps for each column you want to unlock.
• Click on the "Review" tab in the Ribbon.
• In the "Protection" section, click "Protect Sheet".
• Deselect the "Lock Cells" option and click OK.
• You can now modify previously locked columns.

Note that unlocking columns may compromise data security and privacy in your worksheet, so be sure to protect the sheet again once you have completed modifying the columns.

Conclusions

In conclusion, locking columns in Excel can be a very useful operation to improve data organization and visualization. Thanks to the different options offered by the program, it is possible to choose the method that best suits one's needs.

Remember that column locking can be done manually through the "Freeze Panes" function or by using specific formulas or macros. In addition, columns can be unlocked at any time if it becomes necessary to modify the data contained within them.

It is important to emphasize that column locking does not represent complete protection of the Excel document, but only a form of data organization. To ensure greater security for your files, it is always advisable to use passwords and other forms of protection available within the program.

• Remember to save your work frequently while using Excel;
• Use passwords and other forms of protection to ensure the security of your files;
• Take advantage of all the options provided by Excel to organize and display data clearly and accurately.

Locking columns in Excel may seem complex at first glance, but with the guide provided in this article, it will be easy to learn how to do it. Once you have acquired this skill, you will be able to use Excel even more effectively and productively.