# Locking a Cell

Learn how you can lock a cell or range of cells and make it unavailable for editing by the end user using Spread for ASP.NET.

## Content

You can lock a cell or range of cells and make it unavailable for editing by the end user.
You can lock cells using the Locked property in the [Cell](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Cell.html), [Column](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Column.html), [Row](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Row.html), [AlternatingRow](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.AlternatingRow.html), or [SheetView](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.html) objects.
For cells marked as locked to be locked from user input, the [Protect](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.Protect.html) property of the sheet must be set to True, which is its default value. If it is set to False, the user can still interact with the cells.

## Using the Properties Window

1. At design time, in the **Properties** window, select the FpSpread component.
2. Select the **Sheets** property.
3. Click the button to display the **SheetView Collection Editor**.
4. Select the **Cells** drop-down.
5. Select the cells that you wish to lock.
6. Set the **Locked** property.
7. Select **OK**.

## Using a Shortcut

Using the **Locked** property for the [Cell](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Cell.html), [Column](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Column.html), or [Row](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Row.html) object, you can mark some cells as locked. The [Protect](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.Protect.html) property, for the sheet, must be set to true if you want the cells to be locked from user input.
**Example**
Making sure that the [Protect](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.Protect.html) property is True for the sheet, you can lock some columns of cells and then unlock some of the cells in one row.

```csharp
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Protect = true;
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Columns[0, 3].Locked = true;
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Cells[1,1,1,2].Locked = false;
```

```vbnet
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Protect = True
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Columns[0, 3].Locked = True
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Cells[1,1,1,2].Locked = False
```

## Using Code

Using the **Locked** property for the [Cell](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Cell.html), [Column](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Column.html), or [Row](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.Row.html) object, you can mark some cells as locked. The [Protect](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.Protect.html) property, for the sheet, must be set to True if you want the cells to be locked from user input.
**Example**
Making sure that the [Protect](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.Protect.html) property is True for the sheet, you can lock some columns of cells and then unlock some of the cells in one row.

```csharp
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Protect = true;
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.LockBackColor = Color.LightCyan;
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.LockForeColor = Color.Green;

FarPoint.Web.Spread.Column columnobj;
columnobj = fpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Columns[0, 3];
columnobj.Locked = true;
FarPoint.Web.Spread.Cell cellobj;
cellobj = fpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Cells[1,1,1,2];
cellobj.Locked = false;

FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Cells[1,0,1,4].Text = "First Five";
```

```vbnet
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Protect = True
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.LockBackColor = Color.LightCyan
FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.LockForeColor = Color.Green

Dim columnobj As FarPoint.Web.Spread.Column
columnobj = fpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Columns(0, 3)
columnobj.Locked = True
Dim cellobj As FarPoint.Web.Spread.Cell
cellobj = fpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Cells(1,1,1,2)
cellobj.Locked = False

FpSpread1.ActiveSheetView.Cells(1,0,1,4).Text = "First Five"
```

## Using the Spread Designer

1. In the work area, select the cell or cells for which you want to lock the cells either by dragging over a range of cells or selecting row or column headers (for entire rows or columns).
2. In the **Misc** section, select the **Locked** property and choose **True**.
    (Another way of doing that is to select the **Cells** property, click on the button to call up the **Cell, Column, and Row** editor, and select the cells in that editor.)
3. Choose the sheet from the drop-down combo to the right of the designer. From the properties list (in the **Misc** section), set the **Protect** property.
4. In the **Properties** window in the **SheetView Collection Editor**, in the **Misc** section, select the Protect property and set it to True if you want the cells to be locked from user input.
5. From the **File** menu choose **Apply and Exit** to apply your changes to the component and exit Spread Designer.

**Using the Spread Designer**
The following steps list a different way to lock cells in the designer.

1. In the work area, select the cell or cells that you want to lock.
2. Select the **Home** menu.
3. Select the **Lock** icon from the **Editing** section.
4. From the **File** menu choose **Apply and Exit** to apply your changes to the component and exit Spread Designer.