<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="19" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Cell protection is activated for all cells as the default. It is, however, only effective if you protect the sheet or the document.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="6" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>If you have cells in the document that you do not want to protect, for example, cells in which the user is to make entries, then select these cells and unprotect them. If you then protect the sheet or the document, all other cells are protected from changes.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="8" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>The check boxes in this tab are tristate fields, capable of assuming three states. If the box is not checked, the function does not apply to any of the selected cells. A check mark indicates that the function is valid for all selected cells. If the check mark and box are gray, the function is valid for at least one cell but not for all.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="9" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Select the protection functions for the selected cells.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="10" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><span class="T1">Protected</span> means that the contents of the cell and the cell format cannot be modified. <span class="T1">Hide formula</span> makes the formulas invisible and protects them from changes. <span class="T1">Hide when printing</span> displays the protected cells on-screen, but not when printed.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="12" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>To activate the protection, select <span class="T1">Tools - Protect Document</span> and then <span class="T1">Sheet</span> or <span class="T1">Document</span>. A dialog box appears, where you can enter an optional password.</p>
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<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="13" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>The protection becomes active when you close the dialog with OK, even if you do not specify a password. If you enter a password and then later forget it, you will have no way to deactivate protection! If you merely want to protect the cells from inadvertent changes, it is better not to enter a password.</p>