How to Prevent Specific Cells from Being Deleted in Excel (Without Locking the Whole Sheet)

✅ Step-by-Step: Lock Only Specific Cells in Excel

By default, all cells in Excel are “locked”, but this only takes effect when you protect the sheet.

So, to protect only specific cells, follow these steps:

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🧭 Example Scenario:

You want to protect Cell A1 (which contains a formula or label), but allow users to edit other cells like B1:B10.

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🔧 Step 1: Unlock All Cells First

1. Select all cells (Ctrl + A)
2. Right-click → Format Cells
3. Go to Protection tab
4. Uncheck ✅ Locked
5. Click OK

🔹 This step ensures that no cells are locked unless you choose them.

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🔒 Step 2: Lock the Specific Cell You Want to Protect

1. Select Cell A1 (or whichever cell(s) you want to protect)
2. Right-click → Format Cells
3. Go to the Protection tab
4. Check ✅ Locked
5. Click OK

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🛡️ Step 3: Protect the Worksheet

1. Go to the Review tab
2. Click Protect Sheet
3. (Optional) Set a password so others can’t unprotect it easily
4. Make sure “Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells” is checked
5. Click OK

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✅ Result:

• Cell A1: Locked — users cannot delete or edit it
• Other cells: Unlocked — users can freely change them

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🧠 Pro Tips:

• You can protect multiple non-contiguous cells by holding Ctrl while selecting them.
• Want to allow formatting but not editing? Customize the permissions while protecting the sheet.
• Use data validation + warning messages as an additional layer if needed.

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📌 Summary:

Task	What to Do
Unlock all cells	Format Cells → Uncheck Locked
Lock only key cells	Format Cells → Check Locked
Activate protection	Review → Protect Sheet

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