Protect and UnProtect Worksheets in Excel VBA

Description:

Protect and UnProtect Worksheets in Excel VBA is useful when we work with the templates or some worksheets which structure will not change but data may change. Or we may want to restrict the users to not to modify the structure of the worksheet.

Protect UnProtect Worksheet in Excel VBA – Solution:

We can use Protect and UnProtect Methods of a Worksheet to Protect and UnProtect Worksheets in Excel using VBA.

Protect UnProtect Worksheet in Excel VBA – Examples:

The following example will show you how to protect and unprotect worksheets in Excel using VBA.

Example to Protect Worksheet

Sub sbProtectSheet()

    ActiveSheet.Protect "password", True, True

End Sub

Here the left side part is the sheet which you want to protect. the first parameter will be password: you an provide any password to protect worksheet.

Example to UnProtect Worksheet

Sub sbUnProtectSheet()

    ActiveSheet.Unprotect "password"

End Sub

Here the leftside part is the worksheet which you want to un-protect and the right side is the password to unprotect it which you have provided while protecting the worksheet.

Instructions:

1. Open an excel workbook
2. Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
3. Insert a Module for Insert Menu
4. Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
5. Save the file as macro enabled workbook
6. Press F5 to execute it

Protect All Worksheets in Workbook

We can Protect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA. If you want to restrict all worksheets from users not to modify the structure, we can protect all worksheets.

Protect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA – Solution:

We can use Protect method and iterate all the worksheets in a workbook.

Protect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA – Exmaple:

Follwoing is the example code will show you how to Protect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA.

Code

Sub sbProtectAllSheets()

    Dim pwd1 As String, pwd2 As String
    pwd1 = InputBox("Please Enter the password")
    If pwd1 = "" Then Exit Sub
    pwd2 = InputBox("Please re-enter the password")

    If pwd2 = "" Then Exit Sub

     'Check if both the passwords are identical
    If InStr(1, pwd2, pwd1, 0) = 0 Or _
    InStr(1, pwd1, pwd2, 0) = 0 Then
        MsgBox "You entered different passwords. No action taken"
        Exit Sub
    End If

    For Each ws In Worksheets
        ws.Protect Password:=pwd1
    Next

    MsgBox "All sheets Protected."

    Exit Sub
    
End Sub

Instructions:

1. Open an excel workbook
2. Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
3. Insert a Module for Insert Menu
4. Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
5. Save the file as macro enabled workbook
6. Press F5 to execute it

UnProtect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA

We can UnProtect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA. If you want to delete the restrictions of all worksheets, we can unprotect all worksheets at a time.

UnProtect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA- Solution:

We can use Unprotect method and iterate all the worksheets in a workbook.

UnProtect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA – Example:

Following is the example code will show you how to UnProtect All Worksheets in Workbook using VBA.

Code

Sub sbUnProtectAll()
  
    On Error GoTo ErrorOccured
   
    Dim pwd1 As String
    pwd1 = InputBox("Please Enter the password")
    If pwd1 = "" Then Exit Sub
    For Each ws In Worksheets        
        ws.Unprotect Password:=pwd1
    Next
    MsgBox "All sheets UnProtected."

    Exit Sub
     
ErrorOccured:
    MsgBox "Sheets could not be UnProtected - Password Incorrect"
    Exit Sub
    
End Sub

Instructions:

1. Open an excel workbook
2. Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
3. Insert a Module for Insert Menu
4. Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
5. Save the file as macro enabled workbook
6. Press F5 to execute it

Show Worksheet Protect dialog in Excel VBA

You can Show Worksheet Protect dialog to give the user to enter password to protect worksheets. So that user can have the option to enter required password.

Show Worksheet Protect dialog – Solution:

We can use Application.Dialogs(xlDialogProtectDocument).Show method to Show Worksheet Protect dialog.

Show Worksheet Protect dialog – Example:

Following is the example to Show you how to do this.

Code

Sub sbShowProtectDialogBox()
'This code will do the required task...
Application.Dialogs(xlDialogProtectDocument).Show

End Sub

Instructions:

Follow the instructions below to execute the code.

1. Open an excel workbook
2. Press Alt+F11 to open VBA Editor
3. Insert a Module for Insert Menu
4. Copy the above code and Paste in the code window
5. Save the file as macro enabled workbook
6. Press F5 to execute it