- In short
- Highlight Locked Cells shows, by color, which cells will refuse edits once sheet protection is turned on. The header row stays out of scope: an Excel Table is scanned on its data body only, header detection runs on plain ranges, and a single-row selection is never treated as a header. Cell contents and lock settings stay untouched; only a fill color is applied.
What it is for
Highlight Locked Cells is used to highlight locked cells.
When to use it
It earns its place whenever you have to none.
Example scenarios
- None.
What it needs
A range. Supported data types: text, number, date (by selection).
How to use it
- Select the range or table to audit.
- Run Highlight Locked Cells from the Formula Audit group on the XLMind Plus tab.
- The colored cells are the ones that will block edits under protection; adjust your protection plan accordingly.
What it produces
Colored locked cells.
Effect on your data and undo
Highlight Locked Cells writes the result over the cells you selected. One click on Undo Last brings everything back.
How it differs from similar tools
It applies a one-off, lasting mark without setting up conditional formatting rules; there is nothing to maintain and one step undoes it.
Good to know
No special preconditions.
Limitations
No special preconditions.
Frequently asked questions
- Are the lock settings changed?
- No. The tool only shows the current locked state with a color; the cells' lock property is untouched.
- Is the header row scanned?
- No. Tables are scanned on the data body; plain ranges get header detection, and a one-row selection never counts as a header.
- Does it work while protection is off?
- Yes. The coloring previews which cells will lock once protection is enabled.
- How do I remove the colors?
- Undo Last clears the applied highlight in one step.
Works well with
- For the opposite view, cells that stay editable, use Highlight Unlocked Cells
- For a one-report view of protection across all sheets, use Sheet Protection Summary
- To see cells whose input is limited by rules, use Highlight Data Validation Cells
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