# [SOLVED] Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet



## JPerteet (Jan 20, 2011)

I created a protected worksheet with an unlocked text box. Although I unchecked the _locked_ and _lock text_ options in the text box properties, when I protect the worksheet it won't let me use the "Enter" key to move a line down in the text box. Instead the "Enter" key just moves my cursor into the next unlocked cell. When I unprotect the sheet again the text box won't allow me to use the "Enter" key still and the cursor remains in the text box until I click out with my mouse. Protected or unprotected I can still select and type in the text box but I can't use the enter key without these errors. Is there a way to work around this or is this a glitch?


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## RSpecianjr (Jan 20, 2010)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

Hey JPerteet,

Can you post the workbook for us to look at?

Thanks,

Robert D. Specian Jr.


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## JPerteet (Jan 20, 2011)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

I couldn't attach an Excel file so I Zipped it, did that work?


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## RSpecianjr (Jan 20, 2010)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

Hey JPerteet,

It seems that Text Box isn't what it used to be. Now it is actually a shape. I can't seem to find any way to protect a worksheet and allow it to maintain the ability to do what you want.

I played around a bit though and found that a Label will work the way you want. Doesn't seem to be a way to edit the text format, bigger smaller bold etc. but you when you press enter, it will skip down a line.

I've attached the copy of the edited workbook with the Label in place of the Text Box.

Let us know if this gets you where you want to be or if we need to try and look into it more.

Regards,

Robert D. Specian Jr.


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## Glaswegian (Sep 16, 2005)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

Hi

If you use an ActiveX Textbox, you can set the parameter MULTILINE to TRUE and the text will then move to the next line automatically. You can also set SCROLLBARS to appear when required. Other than that, in a Textbox, you have to press Ctrl + Enter to move down a line.


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## RSpecianjr (Jan 20, 2010)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

Good catch Glaswegian! I was playing around with the activeX stuff but its been so long, that I couldn't remember how to set it up ><

I knew about Alt+Enter in a cell, didn't know about the Ctrl+Enter. Good to know!

Thanks,

Robert


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## JPerteet (Jan 20, 2011)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

Thanks for the suggestions Robert and Glaswegian! 

It's not exactly what I'm looking for but gives me a few ideas to play around with. If I use the Label box or the ActiveX Text Box I can get multiple lines but I loose the editing features of a normal text box (font size, color, bullets, bold, etc.)

This form was in Microsoft Word originally. I recreated it in Excel to automate the formulas I'm protecting in the bottom cells. Word couldn't support 200+ drop down items and didn't have the ability to do a =IF or a VLOOKUP formula.

I'm playing around with embedding a Word document into the Excel form which works, but I get this error message that cycles through 2-3 times when double-clicking to edit embedded object for the first time: *Word cannot start the converter mswrd632. *I had another coworker try it on their machine and they had the same error message. So it appears I'm stumped again. :4-dontkno

-Jenny


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## Glaswegian (Sep 16, 2005)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

Hi Jenny

This should fix the converter issue

MS09-073: Description of the security update for Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003: December 8, 2009

It is true that an ActiveX Textbox can only have one style of font and colour - I've used one textbox within another textbox to display static warnings on a sheet - that way I can highlight several words in red. :grin:

I prefer using the ActiveX controls but that's just me.

Let us know if you need any more help.

@Robert - it's amazing the things you learn - there are so many ways to skin a cat in Excel...:grin:


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## JPerteet (Jan 20, 2011)

*Re: Excel 2007 using text box in a protected sheet*

ray: Fantastic! The error message is gone. Thanks for the help!


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