Setting complex permissions for linked workbooks

[blondehunnybunny]

Hello
I have a few questions, I'm hoping someone can help. I have two workbooks, one (the master workbook) contains a several databases, the other (general workbook) contains worksheets designed to look up information in and add information to the databases using macros. Data is copied between the master workbook and the general workbook using a combination of VBA functions and subroutines and lookups.

1) I would like to add security to these workbooks so that if an administrator opens the workbooks, all worksheets, macros and cells can be viewed and modified. But if a user opens the workbooks, the databases cannot be viewed or modified except by use of the macros inside the general workbook.

2) Is it possible to share the workbooks so that a few copies of the general workbook can be opened simultaneously? If one user adds an entry to one of the databases in the master, the other users must not overwrite this entry, i.e. all changes to the master workbook should be distributed to all users.

Thank you xxx

 

[GlennUK]

Hi blondehunnybunny,

those are fairly complex questions ( well, at least the answers could be ). Can you tell me how important the security for these workbooks is? It's just that security isn't one of Excel's strong points. Another weak area for Excel is sharing of workbooks. I've been supporting a system that uses sharing, and we've had numerous crashes during the last year.