If you have a file that is sensitive to changes, you can force Excel 2016 or 2013 to prompt the user to open as Read Only whenever they attempt to open the file. Here’s how to enable this setting.
- In Excel, select “File” and click Save As.
- Excel 2016 users select “More options…“. Excel 2013 users can skip to step 3.
- Choose “Tools” > “General Options” at the bottom of the window.
- Select the check-box for “Read-only recommended“, then select “OK“.
- Select “Save“.
- If prompted, choose “Yes” to update the file with the read-only setting.
That’s it! Anybody who opens the file in Excel will now be prompted to choose “Open as Read-Only“.
Steven says
The post got me halfway there.
We have a document that everyone uses, that needs to be updated every now and then. We used the technique shown here to require read-only copies, so that nobody has the original open.
Then, Excel got an upgrade. Now everything opens in protected view. The problem is that the read-only prompt only occurs *after* the user leaves the protected view, and until then *the original file counts as being open and in use by that user*, preventing us from updating the file.
Is there a way around this?
A says
In excel 2016 if the document is saved with this option it is just open as read-only! the pop-up does not appear. it is very annoying.
Kathleen says
It did, but I want it to appear with the Protected VIEW message “Be careful-files from the Internet can contain viruses. Unless you need to edit, it’s safer to stay in Protected View.” Any ideas
Linda Smith says
No. My Office is set to open every file as protected, how do I turn that off?
Prakash says
Thanks, This was what I was looking for and it helped