Unprotecting table cells

Torquil_Macdonald_So · February 28, 2012, 1:18pm

Hi!

I've read many questions and answers regarding unprotection of table cells, however none of the replies I have seen worked in my case.

When I try to edit a table cell text, I get the famous popup saying "Readonly content cannot be changed. No modifications will be accepted". However, I can edit the content of some of the other cells in the same table.

I do have read-write permission on the filesystem level. As mentioned, I can edit some other parts of the document.

There is no "unprotect" option in the cell submenu on the right-click context menu in the cell. It only says "<No selection possible>" in greyed out text.

Format -> Sections is greyed out, so I have no access to any "security" settings there.

The file properties shows that the document has no password protection. Nothing is activated on the Security tab there.

One reply mentioned something about "Design Mode", but I could not edit the text after activating that either.

I'm using Libreoffice 3.4.5 OOO340m1 (Build:502) on Debian Sid Linux.

Any ideas? This is often a problem for me when filling out downloadable forms with Libreoffice. Does it have some sort of "Make everything editable" option? That would have saved me many hours...

Best regards,
Torquil Sørensen

Villeroy · February 28, 2012, 1:48pm

This is the same in OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, Excel, Gnumeric and other spreadsheet programs.
menu:Tools>Protection>Sheet=OFF opens the locks of all the cells on that sheet having a lock attached. Now you can edit any cell.

Tab:Protection allows you to add or remove a lock to

selected cells. Cells without a lock remain editable when sheet protection closes all cell locks.
By default all cells have a lock, so the sheet protection locks all cell. You have to remove the locks from those cells you want to keep editable.

Brad_Rogers · February 28, 2012, 1:51pm

Hello Torquil,

Any ideas? This is often a problem for me when filling out
downloadable forms with Libreoffice. Does it have some sort of "Make
everything editable" option? That would have saved me many hours...

It might be "Tools menu --> Protect Document..."

Torquil_Macdonald_So · February 28, 2012, 2:17pm

Hi Brad!

I don't seem to have that menu item. Thanks anyway!

For clarification, I'm talking about a table in a Libreoffice Writer document.

Best regards
Torquil Sørensen

Torquil_Macdonald_So · February 28, 2012, 2:21pm

Oops, I'm talking about a table in the Libreoffice Writer program. Not a spreadsheet. As I understand it, your explanation is only in the context of a spreadsheet? As far as I can see, I cannot follow your procedure in Writer.

But thanks anyway, and sorry for causing confusion!

Best regard,
Torquil Sørensen

Brad_Rogers · February 28, 2012, 2:40pm

Hello Torquil,

I don't seem to have that menu item. Thanks anyway!
For clarification, I'm talking about a table in a Libreoffice Writer
document.

Ah, I didn't realise. Yes, my, and Andreas' solutions are for Calc.

Torquil_Macdonald_So · February 28, 2012, 2:53pm

I hope my problem is not the same as this:

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=19668

That one seems to be unsolvable without having access to MS Word:

"As of this moment the bug still exists in OO 3.1.1 for Windows, I haven't checked my Linux or Mac systems yet. OO Writer honours the protection status of a document but doesn't have any way of changing it. If a document has been locked in MS Word there is no way to unlock it without passing it through a copy of Word."

My document was originally a *.doc, probably created in MS Word. When I saved my first modified version, I let Libreoffice save it as an ODT-file.

Best regards,
Torquil Sørensen

Torquil_Macdonald_So · February 28, 2012, 3:43pm

Hi, me!

Abiword was able to edit the "read-only" parts of the document, so I'm happy now

I still welcome suggestions here on how to achieve this in Libreoffice Writer.

Best regards
Torquil

Brad_Rogers · February 28, 2012, 6:32pm

Hello Torquil,

I hope my problem is not the same as this:
http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=19668
That one seems to be unsolvable without having access to MS Word:

That seems to be the most likely probability, unfortunately.

Tom_Davies · February 28, 2012, 7:55pm

Hi
Brilliant, nicely done

It would be nice to have protect/unprotect and password protection working in MS formats the way that it is meant to in MS Office. Perhaps time to post a feature request?
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugReport
Don't worry if you don't have time or if "e-letter"'s type of attitude puts you off.
Regards from
Tom

walpulio · August 30, 2013, 9:55am

Hi, me!

Abiword was able to edit the "read-only" parts of the document, so I'm

happy now

I still welcome suggestions here on how to achieve this in Libreoffice Writer.

Best regards
Torquil

Hi guys!

I know this is an old post, but I just had the same problem, and I could
overcome it copy-pasting the table. For whichever reason, I could add/delete
rows in the new table.

Cheers!

Tom_Davies · August 30, 2013, 11:03am

Hi
I am not sure we should be helping people bypass security but since most security is so desperately weak these days it's questionable whether "protecting" things really counts as security.

Most security only seems to be a barrier to polite people that should be able to modify the thing and so it becomes just a way of decreasing productivity. "Attackers" or even just cheeky people curious to see if they can get in are likely to be able to find some way in regardless of how well protected a thing is.

File or drive encryption is a case in point. Lose the password and no-one can get in. If the drive hiccups slightly the password might not work anymore. Hence tons of valuable data gets lost each year. Also even while it is working fine it takes the average legit far longer to find the password than it would take for a cheeky curious person to find it through phishing.

Does anyone out there believe their password is safe because they cleverly choose "password", "password1" or "qwerty"? How about numbers of people who think they are being clever by writing their password under their keyboard rather than just on a post-it note on their screen, or top unlocked drawer of their desk.

Any security reduces productivity but also fails to be really secure anyway because users are morons, and i am including myself in that as not all my passwords are particularly clever.

Regards from

Tom