How To Create A Read-Only File In Excel And How To Remove Information technology Too!

Written by co-founder Kasper Langmann, Microsoft Part Specialist.

Sometimes we may have an Excel workbook that would be sensitive to changes.

For example, Jake, who reached out to united states and asked:

I have an Excel file with some important functions. How can I share this file with my clients without assuasive them to make changes to information technology?

Jake Kurtz

In this case, it will be necessary to protect the workbook from any changes intentional or otherwise past other users that have access to it.

We may still want to allow a user to make changes and save those with a new filename or to a different location.

A keen way to ensure the integrity of such a workbook file would be to enable the 'read-only recommendation'.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

*This tutorial is for Excel 2019/Microsoft 365 (for Windows). Got a different version? No problem, you can still follow the verbal same steps.

What do y'all want to learn?

How to create a 'READ-ONLY' file

Let's say we maintain a monthly written report that nosotros make changes to as new data becomes available.

We at present need to share the updated report to users that need the new data and metrics.

Even so, we want to make certain that whatsoever changes made by other users do non get saved to the original file. Instead, these users will exist forced to rename the file – or to save it to a different location.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

We can do this by making sure other users can choose the option of 'read-simply' mode to subtract (but not eliminate) risk of the file being changed.

The first stride in how to make a file 'read only' is to enable the setting

1: Go to the 'File' tab and select 'Save Every bit'.

Save As menu
Browse

3: Click on the 'Tools' dropdown at the bottom of the 'Relieve Equally' dialog box.

Tools drop-down

4: Select 'General Options' from the list.

v: Make certain the 'Read-simply recommended' box is checked in the 'Full general Options' dialog box and click 'OK'

Read-only checkbox

half-dozen: Select 'Save'.

Information technology'due south that simple.

Now every time the file is opened, the user volition be prompted to 'Open up as read-only?'.

Open as read-only prompt?

Annotation: This method allows the pick of 'Aye', 'No', or 'Abolish'

If the user clicks 'Yes' to the question to open every bit 'read-but', no changes to the original file (name) tin be fabricated.

This doesn't quite mean that nosotros cannot make changes to the open file.

For anyone wondering how to alter a 'read-only' file, at that place actually is a bit of a workaround.

Note in the next figure that if nosotros endeavor to salve a 'read-just' file that it prompts united states of america to change the file name or location.

Change name or save location

So that's how to change a 'read-simply' file!

We merely rename the 'Save As' filename or relieve information technology to a different file location.

It's a pretty unproblematic procedure to relieve a workbook every bit 'read-only' and it adds some extra control over the workbook.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

But it'southward really not protecting information technology from changes since each user that opens the workbook has the option non to open in 'read-only'.

Information technology's more of a reminder to everyone who might forget that "hey, don't mess this re-create upwards!".

Now that we have covered the steps to make a workbook file 'read-only' let'due south wait at how we remove the 'read-but' option…

How to remove 'read-only'

Let's now plough to the task of how to remove 'read-simply' recommendations from the file.

For instance, say information technology's to add together new data and brand some calculations. This updates the metrics for the stakeholders that use the written report.

We need to have a way to remove 'read-simply' from our file in order to easily save the changes to the current filename.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

One matter to notation is that our workbook must not exist open in 'read-merely' style for the states to be able to actually relieve our changes later we remove 'read-only'.

Recollect…

When we open up a 'read-only recommended' file that information technology prompts united states of america for a 'Yes' or a 'No' to the question of whether nosotros would similar to open every bit 'read-only' or not.

Nosotros need to click 'No' in club to exist able to save our changes.

1: When opening the file, select 'No' when prompted.

Read-Only prompt

ii: Click on 'File', then 'Save As' and and then click on 'Scan'.

Browse

3: Click on 'Tools' at the bottom of the 'Salve As' dialog box and select 'Full general Options'.

4: One time the 'General Options' dialog box appears, uncheck the box next to 'Read-only recommended'.

Uncheck read-only recommended box

5: So click 'OK' and the workbook is no longer in 'read-only' manner.

There are a couple of things to note about workbooks that are opened as 'read-only'…

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Get-go, if we open up a file in 'read-but' there is an indication at the top of the file in the filename that the workbook is, in fact, 'read-but'.

Read-only indication in filename

Another matter to notation is what volition happen if we try and save changes to the same file that is in 'read-only' mode.

Cannot save as that name

Every bit yous saw before, the but way to relieve changes to a 'read-only' file is past renaming it or saving information technology to a different location.

Conclusion

Then, in that location it is. The basic steps to both enabling and disabling 'read-only' style in Excel 2016.

Information technology'southward a uncomplicated technique that can provide more control over the integrity of files without going to the extremes of things like password protection.

Furthermore, it still allows other users to make changes but ensures they can but do and then by renaming the file or saving it to a dissimilar location than the original file.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto