What is Protected View in Excel?

Are you looking for a way to protect your Excel worksheets from potential malicious content? Protected View in Excel is a security feature that helps protect your computer by identifying potentially unsafe content. In this article, we’ll discuss what Protected View is, why it’s important, and how to use it. Let’s get started!

What is Protected View in Microsoft Excel?

Protected View is a feature in Microsoft Excel that helps keep your data safe by opening potentially unsafe files in a protected environment. It was introduced in Microsoft Excel 2010 and is enabled by default. Protected View helps protect your computer from malicious software, viruses, and other threats that can compromise your system. In this article, we’ll discuss what Protected View is, how it works, and how to disable it when necessary.

What is Protected View?

Protected View is a security feature in Microsoft Excel that helps protect your computer from malicious software, viruses, and other threats. When you open a file in Protected View, it is opened in a “sandbox” environment, which prevents any malicious code from running on your computer. The sandbox environment is a virtualized version of your computer, in which the file can’t access your system or other files.

Protected View is enabled by default in Microsoft Excel 2010 and later versions. It is triggered when you open a file from the Internet, from a network drive, or from an untrusted location. The file is opened in Protected View, which prevents any malicious code from running on your computer.

How Does Protected View Work?

When you open a file in Protected View, the file is opened in a virtualized environment, which prevents any malicious code from running on your computer. The file is opened in a read-only mode, which means you can view the contents of the file, but you can’t make any changes to it.

Any changes you make to the file while it’s in Protected View are saved in a temporary file. When you close the file, the temporary file is deleted and the original file is unchanged. This ensures that any changes you make to the file while it’s in Protected View don’t affect the original file.

How to Disable Protected View

If you want to disable Protected View, you can do so by going to the File tab in Microsoft Excel and selecting Options. In the Options window, go to the Trust Center tab and select Trust Center Settings. In the Trust Center Settings window, select Protected View and uncheck the box next to Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet.

When to Use Protected View

Protected View should be used when you open a file from an untrusted source, such as the Internet or a network drive. It can also be used when you’re opening a file from a trusted source, but you’re not sure if the file is safe.

When Not to Use Protected View

Protected View should not be used when you’re opening files from a trusted source, such as a file that was created on your computer or a file that was sent to you from a trusted colleague. In these cases, the file is likely safe and there’s no need to open it in Protected View.

Conclusion

Protected View is a security feature in Microsoft Excel that helps protect your computer from malicious software, viruses, and other threats. It is enabled by default in Microsoft Excel 2010 and later versions and is triggered when you open a file from an untrusted source. You can disable Protected View when necessary, but it should generally be used when you open files from an untrusted source.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Protected View in Excel?

Protected View is a feature in Microsoft Excel intended to protect users from potentially malicious files. When a file is opened in Protected View, the user is prevented from making any changes. Protected View also prevents the user from enabling macros, copying and pasting data, and performing other potentially dangerous activities.

What are the benefits of using Protected View in Excel?

Using Protected View in Excel offers several benefits. First, it can help protect users from potentially malicious files, as mentioned above. Second, it can also help prevent users from accidentally making changes to a file that could cause it to become corrupted or unusable. Finally, it also helps protect users from inadvertently executing any malicious macros that may be included in the file.

How do I open a file in Protected View in Excel?

To open a file in Protected View in Excel, open the file normally and select the “Enable Editing” button at the top of the window. This will open the file in Protected View. Alternatively, you can also select “Open in Protected View” from the File tab in the ribbon.

How do I exit Protected View in Excel?

To exit Protected View in Excel, select the “Enable Editing” button at the top of the window. This will exit Protected View and allow you to make changes to the file.

What type of files can be opened in Protected View?

Protected View can be used to open files with the following extensions: .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xltx, .xltm, .xlsb, .xlam, .xla, .xlt, and .xlw.

What happens when I try to open a file in Protected View in Excel?

When you try to open a file in Protected View in Excel, the file will open in a read-only mode and any changes you try to make will be blocked. Additionally, any macros included in the file will be disabled and you will not be able to copy and paste data from the file.

Protected View in Excel is a powerful tool that helps to protect your computer from security threats and malicious content when opening files from the internet. It helps to prevent potentially malicious content from being opened and used on your computer, ensuring that your data is kept safe and secure. With its powerful protection features, you can rest assured that you are safe and secure when working with Excel files from the internet.