How to Maintain Excel Sheet Protections When Opening in Numbers or Google Sheets

Question

An Excel document has been created with protected and hidden sheets, and the workbook is also password protected. It is intended for use by multiple users in a company, allowing them to edit only specific cells while keeping everything else hidden and secured by a password. However, when the document is opened in other applications like Numbers for Mac or Google Sheets, these protections are lost, and all sheets, including hidden ones, become visible. Is there a method to retain these protections when opening the Excel document in Numbers or Google Sheets?

Answer 1

Hi,

When you open an Excel document in another application, such as Numbers for Mac or Google Sheets, there is a real issue with the loss of protection. Here are some possible solutions and suggestions:

Password-protect the entire Workbook: While this doesn't completely prevent hidden worksheets from being viewed in other applications, it can make it harder to access. Make sure your passwords are complex and change them regularly.

Convert to PDF: If you don't need editing features, you can convert a protected Excel workbook to a PDF file. This preserves all formatting and hidden content, but users can't edit it.

Encryption of sensitive information: For particularly sensitive information, consider using encryption in Excel to ensure that the data is not readable even when opened in other applications.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sensitivity-labels-are-automatically-applied-or-recommended-for-your-files-and-emails-in-office-622e0d9c-f38c-470a-bcdb-9e90b24d71a1

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