Locking Drop Down Boxes In Excel

Create drop down lists or menus in excel to limit the data that can be entered into a specific cell to a preset list of entries.

Locking drop down boxes in excel.

In the dialog box choose protection then untick the box that says lock. It s the day for tricks and treats so here is a useful trick that you can use with your drop down lists. When you put a drop down box in a spreadsheet cell the cell displays an arrow. Protecting a cell but allowing drop down list to work.

Using a drop down list for data validation makes data entry easier prevents data entry errors and restricts the number of locations for entering data. Created via data validation is there a way to lock the cell so that the user of the spreadsheet is forced to select an option from the dropdown list don t want the user to be able to override the list options by typing freeform in the cell. After you create your drop down list make sure it works the way you want. If i a have a drop down list in my excel spreadsheet i e.

Adding a drop down box to your excel 2007 spreadsheet can speed up data entry by offering users a list of items to select from instead of having to type information each time. If the list of entries for your drop down list is on another worksheet and you want to prevent users from seeing it or making changes consider hiding and protecting that worksheet. Prevent or disable typing in a combo box by using vba code. Hi kay before selecting the protect sheet option in the review ribbon right click on your cell and select format cells.

Make sure that the design mode is turned on under developer tab. For example if you want your drop down list to include new york boston and los angeles you can type new york in cell a1 boston in cell a2 and los angeles in cell a3. The drop down list with check boxes utility of kutools for excel can help you easily create drop down list with checkboxes in a specified range current worksheet current workbook or all opened workbooks based on your needs. For example you might want to check to see if change the column width and row height to show all your entries.

You can also use the below vba code to prevent typing in a combo box in excel. Enter the list of values for your drop down in a column. Download the full feature 30 day free trail of kutools for excel now. We ll block changes in excel drop down list cells and that could prevent your worksheet s data from turning into a nightmare.

Easily create drop down list with checkboxes in excel. Make sure to enter each drop down entry in a separate consecutive cell in the same column.