Excel: Only Values Copied from Protected Document

ID: Q63426

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Although the Copy command can be executed on cells in a protected Microsoft Excel document, the Paste command cannot.

Copied data can be pasted into other, unprotected documents; however, only the values will be transferred.

For example:

  1. Open a blank worksheet in Excel.


  2. Enter 10 into A1 and =A1" into A2.


  3. From the Options menu, choose Protect Document and press OK.


  4. Select A1 and A2. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.


  5. Open a new worksheet. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.


When A2 is selected, only the value 10 will be displayed in the formula bar. The formula "=A1" is not transferred to the unprotected worksheet.


MORE INFORMATION

This is by design. It is not possible to copy formulas from cells on a protected document into another document.

Additional query words: 1.0 1.00 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.5 1.50 2.20 3.0 4.00 


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Last Reviewed: March 21, 1999