Microsoft KB Archive/26333

{| = Excel: Menu Options Available on a Protected Document =
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Last reviewed: November 2, 1994

Article ID: Q26333

SUMMARY
Many of the menu commands will be unavailable (dimmed) if one of the following is true:

 You are in Edit mode (the formula bar is active). Either cancel the current entry by clicking the X in the formula bar or by pressing the Escape key (if one exists on your keyboard), or enter the contents by pressing the ENTER or RETURN keys. -or- A protected document is active. To enable the commands, choose Unprotect Document from the Options menu.

The following table lists the menus and commands that are or are not available while a protected document is active. On the File, Window, and Help menus, ALL commands are available while a document is protected. On the Format menu, NONE of the commands are available. Several commands in Microsoft Excel are enabled when a certain condition is true. For example, the Undo command on the Edit menu is only available when you've just completed an action that can be undone. If you see a command listed under Available that is dimmed on your display, ensure that you have executed the actions that enable that command. Commands that are listed as Not Available but appear selectable on the menu will result in an error if you choose them (for example, the Cut and Paste commands).

The following table assumes that your active document is a worksheet and that you have protected it with the default options selected. In Microsoft Excel 3.0 and 4.0, the cell contents and objects are selected. In Microsoft Excel 2.x, the cell contents are selected. If you vary these options, different menu commands will be available. For example, if you turn off the cell contents option when you protect your document, all of the commands on the Format menu will be available.

Edit Menu
Available                      Not Available -                      -

Copy                           Cut, Paste, Clear Undo                           Paste Special Repeat (2.x and later)         Paste Link (2.x and later) Delete, Insert Fill Right, Fill Down Fill Workgroup (3.0 only) Insert Object (4.0)

Formula Menu
Available                      Not Available -                      -

Paste Name                     Define Name Paste Function                 Create Names Note (2.x and later)           Apply Names (2.x and later) Goto, Find                     Replace (2.x and later) Goto, Find                     Select Special (2.x and later) Select Last Cell (1.50 and     Reference (3.0 and earlier)      earlier)                     Outline (3.0 and later) Show Active Cell (2.20 and     earlier on the Macintosh,      3.0 and later on both      the Macintosh and Windows)

Data Menu
Available                       Not Available -                       -

Form (2.x and later)            Extract, Delete Find                            Set Database Consolidate (3.0 and later)     Set Criteria Set Extract (3.0 and later) Sort, Series, Table Parse (2.x and later) Crosstab (4.0)

Options Menu
Available                       Not Available -                       -

Set Print Area                  Precision As Displayed (2.x only) Set Print Titles                Standard Font (2.x only) Set Page Break                  Spelling (4.0) Remove Page Break Font (1.50 and earlier) Display Toolbars (4.0) Color Palette (3.0 and later) Freeze Panes (3.0 and earlier) Unprotect Document R1C1 (1.50 and earlier) Calculate Now (3.0 and earlier) Calculation Workspace (2.x and later) Short Menus (2.x and 3.0) Full Menus (2.x and 3.0)

Macro Menu
Available                         Not Available -                         -

Run                               Assign to Object (3.0 and later) Record (1.50 and later)           Set Recorder (never available   Start Recorder                       on a worksheet; dimmed when   Stop Recorder                        active document is a protected   Relative Record                      macro sheet) Resume (4.0)
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