Excel: Dotted Horizontal Underlines in Protected Document

 Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
Article ID: Q63338
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 1.x, 2.2, 3.0, 4.0
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

If you protect a Microsoft Excel document by choosing Protect Document from the Options menu, unlocked cells display with dotted horizontal underlines when the gridlines have been deselected by choosing Display from the Options menu. Microsoft Excel was designed this way so that unlocked (editable) cells would be more readily visible. There is no way to alter this aspect of the display.

The dotted underline does not print in Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh versions 2.2 and 3.0; however, the dotted underline does print in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel if gridlines are not chosen to print. To prevent the dotted underline from printing in these versions, the document must be unprotected.

WORKAROUNDS

  1. Turn gridlines back on and change color to white.
2. Select entire worksheet, format top, left, right, bottom borders 
   and set color to white.

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 1.0 1.00 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.5 1.50 2.0 2.00
2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.20 3.0 3.00 4.0 4.00

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Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
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