Datasheet
Limiting the Usable Area
in a Worksheet
Have you ever wanted to restrict access to a certain range within a worksheet? For exam-
ple, you may want to set up a worksheet so that only cells in a particular range can be acti-
vated or modified. This tip describes two ways to accomplish this task: by using the
ScrollArea property and by using worksheet protection.
Setting the ScrollArea Property
A worksheet’s ScrollArea property determines which range is visible. Figure 22-1 shows a
worksheet. The instructions that follow restrict the usable area of the worksheet to the
range C6:F13.
Figure 22-1: You can restrict the usable area of a worksheet to a particular range.
Here’s how to do it:
1. First, make sure that the Developer tab of the Ribbon is displayed. (By default, this tab
is not displayed.) To turn on the Developer tab, access the Excel Options dialog box
(choose Office ➪ Excel Options), click the Popular tab, and select the Show Developer
Tab in the Ribbon check box.
2. Choose Developer ➪ Controls ➪ Properties to display the Properties window (see
Figure 22-2).
3. In the Properties window, enter C6:F13 in the ScrollArea field and press Enter. You can’t
point to the range; you must enter the range address manually.
Tip 22: Limiting the Usable Area in a Worksheet
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