I want to protect number format only, while allowing the user to
change the contents of the cells. Or, it would also work if I could
protect all formatting while allowing cell contents to be edited.

We have a workbook used by around (I'm told) 25,000 people, with many
more to come, which is formatted as text. Users paste numbers into it,
and it must preserve leading zeros, and must not convert to
exponential notation.

But users often paste from other formatted sources such as email,
which converts the cell to General number format, losing leading zeros
and converting to exponential notation.

Worksheet protection doesn't seem to allow editing locked cell
contents even with all the restrictions turned off, and of course
worksheet protection doesn't apply at all to unlocked cells.

I looked at Allow Users to Edit Ranges, but it turns off protection
for the affected cells; it doesn't allow me to protect number
formatting (or all formatting) while allowing the user to edit the
cell contents.

I thought about using the Worksheet Change event to trap all pastes
and enter them as text, but by the time that Event is triggered, the
damage is already done and I don't know if there were leading zeros or
how many.

Any suggestions on how I can protect number formatting, or formatting
in general, while allowing the cell contents to be edited?


Thanks,

Greg