Part I: Getting Started with Excel
- Enter the password, click OK, and then enter it again.
- Click OK and save the workbook.
When you reopen the workbook, you’ll be prompted for a password.Passwords are case sensitive. Be careful when using password protection because it’s impossible to open the work-
book (using normal methods) if you forget the password. Also, remember that Excel passwords can be cracked, so
it’s not a perfect security measure.Organizing Your Files
If you have hundreds of Excel files, you might have a problem locating the workbook that
you need. Using descriptive filenames can help. Using folders and subfolders (with descrip-
tive names) also makes it easier to find the particular file you need. In some cases, though,
that’s not enough.Fortunately, Excel lets you assign a variety of descriptive information (sometimes known
as metadata) to a workbook. These are known as document properties. This information
includes such items as the author, tags, and categories.When you choose File ➪ Info, you can view (or modify) the document properties for the
active workbook. This information is shown on the right side of the screen.To access even more properties for your workbook, click the down arrow on Properties and choose Advanced
Properties.Other Workbook Info Options
The Info pane of Backstage view displays more file-related options. To display this pane,
choose File ➪ Info. These options, described in the following sections, may be useful if you
plan to distribute your workbook to others. Note that not all workbooks display all of the
options described in the following sections. Only the relevant options are shown.Protect Workbook options
The File ➪ Info ➪ Protect Workbook drop-down list contains the following options:Always Open Read-Only Use this option to save the file as read-only to prevent changes.
Encrypt with Password Use this command to specify a password that is required to open
the workbook. (See “Password-Protecting a Workbook” earlier in this chapter.)