To lock a single cell in Excel, first unlock all cells, then lock the specific cell and protect the sheet. Start by selecting all cells, go to Format Cells > Protection, uncheck "Locked," then lock the desired cell. Protect the sheet via the Review tab, optionally setting a password. This ensures only the specified cell is protected while others remain editable.
If you want to lock just one cell in Excel, the process is straightforward but requires attention to a few key steps. Excel doesn't let you protect a single cell directly without protecting the entire sheet, but with the right settings, you can achieve exactly what you need.

Unlock All Cells First
By default, all cells in Excel are locked, but they only respect that setting when the sheet is protected. So if you only want to protect a single cell, you’ll need to unlock all the other cells first.

- Right-click anywhere on the sheet tab and choose "Select All" or press
Ctrl A
- Right-click again and go to "Format Cells" > "Protection" tab
- Uncheck the "Locked" box
- Click OK
This makes every cell editable when the sheet is protected — except the ones you manually lock later.
Lock and Protect the Specific Cell
Now that everything’s unlocked, it's time to lock the specific cell you want to protect.

- Select the cell you want to protect (e.g., A1)
- Right-click and go to "Format Cells" > "Protection"
- Check the "Locked" box
- Click OK
Next, protect the sheet:
- Go to the "Review" tab
- Click "Protect Sheet"
- You can set a password if needed
- Confirm your selection
After this, only the selected cell will be protected; users can edit all others.
Consider Password Protection
If you're sharing the file with others, it's a good idea to use a password when protecting the sheet. Without a password, anyone can unprotect the sheet and change anything, including your protected cell.
- When clicking "Protect Sheet," make sure to type a password
- Save it somewhere secure — if you forget it, there's no recovery
- Avoid overly simple passwords for better security
It's worth noting: if you don’t set a password, protection only stops accidental changes, not intentional ones.
That’s basically how it works. It’s not complicated, but skipping any of these steps might leave your data unprotected or over-locked. Just remember: unlock all first, lock the one you need, then protect the sheet.
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