Cannot Define Name If Active Sheet Protected

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This article was previously published under Q108359

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, if the active sheet and its contents are protected, you may not be able to do either of the following:

Define a name by pointing to Name on the Insert menu and then clicking Define. -or-
Add a name anywhere in the workbook by using the Visual Basic for Applications Names.Add method or the Microsoft Excel 4.0 DEFINE.NAME() macro command. This applies only to Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0.

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Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. To define a name when the active sheet and its contents are protected, follow the appropriate procedure below.

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Manually Define the Name

Use the name box on the left side of the formula bar. For example, to define the new global name "Test" when the active sheet and its contents are protected:

Select the range to which "Test" should refer.
In the name box, type Test and press ENTER to define the name.

To define a local name, include the sheet's name in the name box. For example type, Sheet1!Test or Sheet2!Sample.

NOTE: To protect a worksheet and prevent names from being created using the name box, disable the formula bar.

NOTE: You cannot use this method to define a name in Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition when the active sheet is protected.

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Use Code to Define the Name

Using the Names.Add method or the DEFINE.NAME() macro command to define a name, you must first activate an unprotected sheet or unprotect the active sheet. If you want to add a defined name without unprotecting the worksheet, use code similar to the following sample Visual Basic for Applications macro.

   Sub Insert_Name()
 
       'This will define the range A1:A5 on the active sheet
       'to the name "test".
       ActiveSheet.Range("A1:A5").Name = "test"
 
   End Sub

Run the macro "Insert_Name" and the range A1:A5 will be defined as test.

NOTE: In Microsoft Excel versions 5.0c and later, you can use a Visual Basic subroutine or Microsoft Excel 4.0 macro to define a name on a protected worksheet without first unprotecting the worksheet. The workaround shown above is necessary only in Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0.

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REFERENCES

"User's Guide," version 5.0, pages 688-692

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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kbdtacode kbprb kbprogramming KB108359

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Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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