I have a workbook that will be used by our outside
salesman to calculate quotes on the customer's job site. I
wish to hide certain cells that have sensitive data in
them. I tried to make the text and the background the same
color but that fails when you select the cell.
any ideas?

oldjay

If you select the cells and do
Format=Cells, select the protection tab and click on locked and hidden

Then you have to protect the worksheet. (any cells where you want to allow
entry should be unlocked in the same manner).

Now the hidden cells will not appear in the formula bar. You will still
need to make the text and background colors the same.

I believe that will work.

An alternative would be to put the sensitive data on a separate sheet and
hide the sheet. Then refer to these cells in your formulas.

However, in either approach, if the user links to the cell, they can see the
value - not sure who you are hiding the information from.

Another approach, if it is data, is to put the data in defined names. You
could create these with code and make them not visible.

Again, if the sensitivity is the value of the data, then it would be very
hard to deny this to the person controlling the computer.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

"oldjay" wrote in message
...
I have a workbook that will be used by our outside
salesman to calculate quotes on the customer's job site. I
wish to hide certain cells that have sensitive data in
them. I tried to make the text and the background the same
color but that fails when you select the cell.
any ideas?

oldjay

I agree with Tom....

There is one more way which you can hide the contents....

Format Cell - Number - Custom - Enter ;;; (three semicolans) and say ok.

Now hide the cells. The data will not be visible.

Bug as mentioned by Tom if user links to the cell, it will get exposed.

HTH

Yogendra

Tom Ogilvy wrote:

If you select the cells and do
Format=Cells, select the protection tab and click on locked and hidden

Then you have to protect the worksheet. (any cells where you want to allow
entry should be unlocked in the same manner).

Now the hidden cells will not appear in the formula bar. You will still
need to make the text and background colors the same.

I believe that will work.

An alternative would be to put the sensitive data on a separate sheet and
hide the sheet. Then refer to these cells in your formulas.

However, in either approach, if the user links to the cell, they can see the
value - not sure who you are hiding the information from.

Another approach, if it is data, is to put the data in defined names. You
could create these with code and make them not visible.

Again, if the sensitivity is the value of the data, then it would be very
hard to deny this to the person controlling the computer.

Hello,

For my money, i'd put the data for a sperate sheet(hide and protect
it), give the data names and use that in my forulmas

Good Luck.

Ross