Lock or unlock specific areas of a protected worksheet

By default, protecting a worksheet locks all cells so none of them are editable. To enable some cell editing, while leaving other cells locked, it's possible to unlock all the cells. You can lock only specific cells and ranges before you protect the worksheet and, optionally, enable specific users to edit only in specific ranges of a protected sheet.

Lock only specific cells and ranges in a protected worksheet

1. On the Review tab, select Protect Sheet (in the Protect group).

Protect Sheet

2. If prompted, enter the password to unprotect the worksheet.

Password to Unprotect Sheet

3. Select the whole worksheet by selecting Select All. On the Home tab, select the Font Settings popup launcher.

Select Worksheet

4. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the Protection tab. and uncheck the Locked box and then select OK.

Format Cells

5. Uncheck the Locked box and then select OK.

Locked box

Unlock ranges on a protected worksheet for users to edit

Select the worksheet that you want to protect.

Select the Worksheet
Select Review > Allow Edit Ranges.

Edit Ranges
Do one of the following on the Allow Users to Edit Ranges dialog box:
In the Title box, type the name for the range that you want to unlock.
In the Refers to cells box, type an equal sign (=), and then type the reference of the range that you want to unlock.
For password access, in the Range password box, type a password that allows access to the range, then click OK.

Range Password