ExcelLock locks your spreadsheet and provides only a read-only viewing of it. 
On this page you can read in detail how this works. 

• Securing your spreadsheet
• Distributing the secured spreadsheet
• Viewing the spreadsheet

•  Securing your spreadsheet.
  This is the first step in securing your spreadsheet. The ExcelLock program scans your source spreadsheet and while the source remains untouched ExcelLock will apply security to a locked copy of the source spreadsheet: the .lck.xls sheet.
  
  
  
  While scanning the document ExcelLock will explicitly hide all the formulas. Although the formulas are still calculated by Excel in the locked file the user cannot see the formulas. This means that the algorithms used can not be examined.
  
  You may want some cells in the locked spreadsheet to be changed. Input cells for example. You need to mark them explicitly in Excel. In the format cells dialog in Excel mark these cells are not locked (remove the tickmark for locked in the protection tab). ExcelLock will do the rest.
  
  As a summary EcxelLock will state how many formulas it has hidden and how many cells it found that can be modified.
  
  At the end of the securing step you have the following items:
  •  The unmodified source spreadsheet
    The source spreadsheet remains untouched. No changes were made.
    
  •  The locked .lck.xls file
    The locked file ready for safe distribution. Since strong encryption was used you can safely send these files by email or you can offer it for download. Never distribute the .lck.xls file together with the unlock key. Always distribute them separately.
    
  •  An unlock key
    The unlock key is the needed when viewing the the locked document. Keep it safe.

   

•  Distributing the secured spreadsheet
  The secured spreadsheet, the .lck.xls file, can be distributed by any means. Because its contents are garbled and that it is secured with a strong password it is safe to send by email or to offer it for download for example. The file cannot be viewed unless the unlock key is provided as well. Please note that it is not possible to rename the locked spreadsheet.
  
• Viewing the spreadsheet
  To view the locked spreadsheet the .lck.xls file needs to be opened using the ExcelLock viewer. Enter the unlock key in the ExcelLock viewer and the viewer will unlock the document. Note that during this process no files are created. The security it handled partly by Excel and partly by the Excel viewer software itself.
  
   
  
  The Excel viewer also secures Excel. It will start Excel and hiding all of Excel's user interface. Note that the in the screen print below the menu, toolbar and ribbon are not available when viewing the secured file. Navigating through the spreadsheet is still possible and putting values into cells that were marked as not locked is also still possible.
  
  

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