It's not a setting in xl2003. It's just that the behavior changed.

MS changed xl2003 so that if the cell is locked (and the worksheet is
protected), then the cell with data|validation can't be changed.

You'll have to unlock that cell (format|cells|protection tab) then reprotect the
worksheet.

I bet MS saw this as a bug in earlier versions and corrected it.

"Pheasant Plucker®" wrote:

Hi there,

I have a spreadsheet that is protected but you are able to select a drop
down list of options in a chooser and the selected choice will be entered
into the box - or at least it will on Excel 2000

When I load the same spreadsheet (the exact one) into Excel 2003 all but one
of the chooser type boxes work apart from one.

When I click in the cell, click the triangle in the chooser and pick a name
from the list I get the error;

'The cell or chart you are trying to change is protected and therefore read
only.
To modify a protected cell or chart, first remove protection using the
Unprotect Sheet command (Tools menu, Protection submenu). You may be
prompted for a password.'

Now I have other chooser lists in this same spreadsheet that work under
Excel 2003 - it is just this one that is affected.

As I said the problem one works OK under Excel 2000 on another machine.

Why is this?

Is it likely to be a setting within Excel 2003?

Unprotecting the sheet is not really an option as I only want those
pre-defined entries to be selected and don't want others playing with it.

Can some kind soul help please?
--
Thanks & regards,
-pp-

--

Dave Peterson