The upshot is that they cannot be circumvented by macro code. As mentioned, these settings are controlled at a system level they are not handled on a workbook-by-workbook basis. The actual Protection View settings available depend on the version of Excel you are using.

At the left side of the dialog box click Protected View.

Excel displays the Trust Center dialog box.

Click Macro Security in the Code group.

Display the Developer tab of the ribbon.

You can see the settings by following these steps: The settings for Protected View are controlled on a system-by-system basis in the Trust Center. If you are actually wanting to make sure that the real 'Protected View' is turned off, that is a different story. This approach assumes, of course, that there is no password associated with any of the protected worksheets. The contents of the array are then used in the ReprotectSheets macro to once again re-protect those worksheets. The idea behind the UnprotectAllSheets macro is that it steps through each of the worksheets in the workbook and, if it is protected (determined in the IsSheetProtected macro), the name of the worksheet is stored in an array. IsSheetProtected = (.ProtectContents Or _ ' Function returns TRUE If Worksheetsheet Is Protected Private Function IsSheetProtected(ByRef wks As Excel.Worksheet) As Boolean ' Remember names of protected sheets in order ' Unprotect all worksheets in this workbook ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(arrProtectedSheets(i)).Protect ' Reprotect worksheets that were protected on WorkbookOpenįor i = LBound(arrProtectedSheets) To UBound(arrProtectedSheets) These other macros can be placed in a standard module in the workbook: Note that the macros do little more than call other macros that do the real work. ' Reprotect sheets that were protected on open workbook Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean) The following macros should be placed in the ThisWorkbook module for the workbook whose sheets you want unprotected: That involves a few more steps since you need to cycle through each of the worksheets in the workbook. Of course, this doesn't unprotect individual worksheets. If you want to make sure that the workbook is unprotected so it can be edited once opened, then a macro as simple as this may do the trick:

If you are really talking about what Excel terms 'Protected View,' then that is an entirely different situation. The answer depends entirely on what is meant by 'Protected view.' If you mean that you want the worksheets to be unprotected, that is relatively easy to do via a macro.

He wants the file to open in Normal view such that anyone can open it, read it, and edit it. Patrick wonders how to stop Excel from opening workbooks in Protected view.

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