Locking/Protecting cells

I am new to this forum, therefore I apologize if I cross the rules here as I am sure this has been asked before, however I can not see a search feature on my screen to search past posts.
I am trying to lock/protect certain cells, rows and columns so that poeple are unable to change them in the template. Is this possible in Numbers? I know how to do this in Excel... hoping there will be a way in Numbers

Numbers does not have an equivalent feature to cell-locking. The closest that you can come to this is to lock an entire Table. You can get creative and divide input and output between unlocked and locked tables, and you can abut the tables to make them look like a single table. Next best is to protect the formula cells by placing a clear shape over them and locking the shape.
Regards,
Jerry

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EPM Formatting Sheet Issue - Right click on the cell and lock the cell

Dear Experts,
I have come across an issue. Earlier I worked on BPC NW 10 integrated with Ms Excel 2007. I applied a feature of locking the cell linked with specific member in Input Template and Report by going to EPM Formatting Sheet, selecting dimension member (Which I want to lock in Input Sheet and Report), right clicking on the cell under Data Column and selecting the option "Lock the Cell". As I protect my Input sheet and Report, and do refresh, the cell linked with specific dimension member get locked. Hope everyone has used this feature.
Now I have Ms Excel 2013 installed in system. I am not able to find this feature. if anyone has tried this feature in BPC NW 10 with Ms Excel 2013. Please help me out. As this was good feature by BPC.
Regards,
David

Hi Andy,
I am using Excel 2013, When I checked, I did not find "Lock Option". When I was using Excel 2007, then I had this locking option. below are the details that you asked for...
When I right click on cell in EPM formatting sheet, I get options as shown below in screen shot, but there is no "Lock Option"
Regards,
David

Locking a cell to prevent it from being overwritten

I want to create a table that restricts data entry to specific cells within the table, keeping cells with formulas that calculate data from being overwritten but I am not seeing any way to "protect" cells from inadvertent data entry. Putting an object over the top of a cell or range of cells and setting its opacity to 0 and then locking it keeps you from selecting the underlying cell with the mouse but you can still tab over to the cell with the direction keys and enter data. Is there a way to lock/protect a cell to keep it from being overwritten?

b,
This is an area that Numbers can't really address effectively. The designers don't seem to have considered the possibility of having a document designed by one user and used by others less knowledgeable or trustworthy or careful. If you don't like the workarounds that you found in other discussions your best course is to use another program for now and submit Feedback to Apple if you want to influence future development.
Jerry

Protect cells in Numbers

Is there a way to protect cells in Numbers so that they don't accidentally get overwritten?

Hi gswank,
You can lock the entire table.
You can create an input table an have all your calculations elsewhere.
If you are in iOS a form will not allow a formula to be overwritten.
But no, you cannot protect individual cells.
quinn

Protecting Cells

HI TO ALL!
I just moved from pc to mac and I am switching my business contract spreadsheets over to numbers v3.
I ran into a few issues that I could use some advice on:
1. I have read that you cannot freeze a row other than the header rows. I would like to see the top 5 rows for 'totals' as I make changes deep into the spreadsheet as opposed to scrolling to the top with each change.
2. I cannot lock a cell? That means that formulas (some fairly complex) are wiped out if someone enters a cell and hits the back button...or any button!
3. Same for COMMENTS. If I enter a cell with a comment and hit the back button it removes the comment.
Issues 2 & 3 mean that comments, notes, and formulas are not safe during the months that a project is in process and updated/modified daily. The whole point was to sync project mgmt from my mac to my ipad while in the field.
Any advice (other than going back to excel)?

1. I have read that you cannot freeze a row other than the header rows. I would like to see the top 5 rows for 'totals' as I make changes deep into the spreadsheet as opposed to scrolling to the top with each change.
You can put your SUM formulas in five Header Rows at the top and in the menu choose Table > Freeze Header Columns. That way the rows with the totals will stay at the top, both on the Mac and in iOS.
Numbers can't match Excel in cell protection, unfortunately. The best you can do in Numbers is clearly segregate data entry tables from tables with calculations and lock the tables with calculations. That's not a bad practice anyway. The more you can separate data entry from calculations, generally the better off you will be, in Numbers or Excel.
You probably have noticed that the syncing between the Mac and iOS works well now. But make sure you're backing up (via Time Machine or otherwise) the Library > Mobile Documents > com~apple~Numbers folder. You see what's there in Finder by holding down the option key and choosing Go from the menu, then navigating to the folder. That's the folder you would "Restore" from if necessary.
SG

Can I lock individual cells in Numbers like I can in Excel?

I need to lock specific cells to protect the formulas in those cells. Is there anyway to do this in Numbers like there is in Excel?

Michelemazza wrote:
I need to lock specific cells to protect the formulas in those cells. Is there anyway to do this in Numbers like there is in Excel?
No, Michele, you can only lock entire tables. What you must do is to segregate your stuff into what needs to be locked and what needs to be not locked, in separate tables, lock one table and keep the other open.
Jerry

How do you lock individule cells in numbers on ipad

how do you lock individule cells in numbers on ipad

Wayne, are you sure its iOS numbers that can lock the table? If so, could you please show me how? Havent figured it out yet.
Thanks
Jason

How to enable macro's again (Lock Selected Cells)

Hi All,
I am using the EPM addin for excel for demand planning. I would like to lock certain cells in the by clicking the following option on the formatting sheet:
However, I get the following error:
I did not disable any macro's manually, so I do not know how this comes. Can anyone tell me how to enable these macro's again?
KR,
Kristof

I tried to do so on another workbook and here another macro seems to fail as well.
When trying to add a specific member in the formatting sheet, the following error occurs:
I think that somewhere, all macro's are disabled but I cannot find any way to reverse this...
Kristof

How to "lock" a cell reference in Numbers??

HELP! I am a recent convert from Windows based machines to Apple. I am very familiar with Excel and need to figure out how to do something in Numbers....
I need to know how to lock a cell reference so that when you drag the formula down or across it keeps the same cell reference. In Excel you can do this by picking the cell and then hitting F4 to either lock the column, row or both.
Anybody out there help a newbie?? Thanks

Thanks Jerrold, I'm using them that way. My request has to do with
using them as an Absolute Reference versus a relative reference.
If I specify a header ref for a cell in a formula, when I drag that
formula to some other cells I want Numbers to treat it as absolute,
ie. as if I had said $A$5. What I am finding is that it does it's default
behaviour, ie. it is translating the formula reference to a new cell just
as it would do for a reference like A5.
ie. with header references, what is the equivalent of specifying $A$5?
($header name doesn't work ).
thx, rob

How can i lock a cel so that you can't Change it

How can i lock a cel so that you can't Change it (on iPad)

Dont think you can on ipad numbers.
Jason

Quickoffice spreadsheets: Can you merge cells? Protect cells?

Hello!
I have several forms created in Excel that I would like to use on iPad. I am searching around for the right/best app to use for these forms. If anyone who has used Quickoffice could answer a few questions I would greatly appreciate it.
1. When I open an Excel file in Quickoffice will any changes automatically be made to the file just by opening it with this application?
2. Is it possible to merge cells?
3. Is it possible to protect cells/sheets?
Thank you very much for your time and assistance!

As far as I can tell from Your figure, You have selected something (yellow box) outside (?) of the table? Or is the selection column 1 of the table?
- If You selected something outside of the table, You cannot "merge" something which is not part of a table;
- if it is indeed column 1 of a table, all the cells have already been merged int one.
Like our antipodes would say..."No worries, mate"... AS far as I can tell from the figure, the merge function seems to be working.
If I am wrong, please don't feel offended and clarify Your problem.

JExcel API : Locking a cell

Hi all,
Can anyone please suggest how to lock a cell so that it becomes non-editable/disabled using the WritableCellFeatures in JXL..
Thanks in advance.

Use CSS to style your table.
table {
    width: 600px; /**adjust width as req'd**/
    margin: 0 auto; /**width width, this is centered**/
    border: 1px solid #666; /**optional border**/
th {
    background: #333;
    color: #FFF;
td { padding: 0; }
.bg { background: #C69 url(your_background.jpg) no-repeat; }
HTML:
<table>
<tr>
<th>Table Heading</th>
<th>Table Heading</th>
<th>Table Heading</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="bg">This cell has a background</td>
<td>This cell has no background</td>
<td>This cell has no background</td>
</tr>
</table>
Nancy O.

Locking a cell position

how do you lock a cell position over the background so it is in the same place on the background on any browser.

Use CSS to style your table.
table {
    width: 600px; /**adjust width as req'd**/
    margin: 0 auto; /**width width, this is centered**/
    border: 1px solid #666; /**optional border**/
th {
    background: #333;
    color: #FFF;
td { padding: 0; }
.bg { background: #C69 url(your_background.jpg) no-repeat; }
HTML:
<table>
<tr>
<th>Table Heading</th>
<th>Table Heading</th>
<th>Table Heading</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="bg">This cell has a background</td>
<td>This cell has no background</td>
<td>This cell has no background</td>
</tr>
</table>
Nancy O.

Can you protect cell contents? Say, if I have this great formula I don't want changed.

I have multiple spreadsheets that I use formulas in. MOST of them were created in Excel, and I"m migrating over.
In Excel, I could lock a cell from being changed. Can the same thing be accomplished in Numbers?
Thanks!
John

John Randone wrote:
Thanks for your help.
Now, how do we get Apple to add this feature?
No guarantee because happily, the list of feature is defined by Apple, not by us. In the other case, the result is the awful gas factory named Excel.
_Go to "Provide Numbers Feedback" in the "Numbers" menu_, describe what you wish.
Then, cross your fingers, and wait _at least_ for iWork'11 ;-)
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) vendredi 29 avril 2011 10:08:32
Please :
Search for questions similar to your own before submitting them to the community

Passcode lock protection" prior to power-off for mobile Apple devices

I would like to make a suggestion for an enhanced security operating procedure for Apple devices, with the purpose of detecting a device after it has been stolen.
This idea has occurred to me after an unfortunate personal experience. In particular, two months ago there was an incident where my backpack with four Apple devices belonging to myself and my wife (two iphones and two ipads) was stolen.
Immediately after the theft, within the next 10 minutes, I managed to gain access to a computer.
Although I had activated the service “find my iphone” and “find my ipad” respectively, I soon found out that the devices were already offline, which means that the first thing that the thieves did was to power them off. Please note that all devices were “passcode lock protected”.
The enhanced security proposal I would like make is the following:
A command to be added to the operating system according to which, in order to be able to power-off the device, the user will have to give the valid passcode. In other words, I am suggesting a “passcode lock protection” prior to power-off and not just prior to power-on. By means of this arrangement, and as long as batteries last, the stolen devices may be located.
Thank you for your time.
Best regards
George Paidas

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

Locking/Protecting cells

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