change data validation after alloweditranges password was entered

[jackms]

We have a spreadsheet which has ranges that are password protected (i.e. using AllowEditRanges with a password). This is not because we don't want users to be allowed to ever change those cells, but rather it is to prevent them from changing them accidentally.

Users are provided with the password, but they complain they forget it. So I want to add an Input Message to the Data Validation for cells in that range, so that when users select any of those cells, they will see a message showing the password.

PROBLEM: I want to remove the Input Message after the user types in the password and starts editing cells in the range. At that point, the Input Message would just be a distraction.

Any ideas how to do that?

 

[ClaireS]

Why do you need the password? You could just unlock all the cells they could normally edit, leaving the special ranges locked, then Protect the sheet. They could then still edit the usual cells, but they would have to Unprotect the sheet in order to edit the protected range.

 

[jackms]

Because we want to keep the sheet locked so that users don't change formatting etc. We just give them the password for those cells, not for the entire sheet.