Unprotecting ComboBoxes

[palmese]

I have an Excel 2000 template in which users will (1) select from a series of dropdown menus and (2) input amounts into specified cells. Since this template will be accessible via the company's Outlook Public Folders - I need to protect the worksheets.

My question concerns protection related to ComboBoxes. After I protect the sheet, if the user makes a selection from the ComboBox, a box pops up saying "The cell or chart you are trying to change is protected and therefore read-only". It does however enable the user to make a selection.

This box is appropriate and useful when it concerns my protected cells, but I need it to go away when a user makes a selection from the ComboBoxes. Essentially, what is happening is that every time the user clicks on the ComboBox this read-only pop up would occur, thus driving the user nuts because there are a bunch of ComboBoxes that need to be filled in!

I have unclicked the option under Format Control -- Protection -- Locked related to the ComboBoxes, but this didn't seem to help.

Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

 

[DblClck]

A tedious fix, but effective, and will save user frustration. You must first unlock all the sheets. Then, and this is the tedious part, press and hold CTRL and click ONLY the cells they are allowed to type into. With the cells still highlighted, click on Format, Cells, Protection, and uncheck Locked. (This unlocks those particular cells.)

Now back on your sheet, click Tools, Protection, Protect Sheet, and under the heading "Allow user to:" only check the box in front of "Select Unlocked Cells". When you go back to your sheet, you will only be allowed to move to those cells and to change those cells. It won't even let them click into a locked cell.

This works perfectly for the application you described. I hope you have success with it.

Andy Lanning
Computer Software Training
Boise, ID