Protect worksheets from edits

This workbook goes to external auditors next week. Protect the schedules that feed the consolidated model so nobody overwrites formulas: lock cells with formulas and protect the sheet with a password I will give to audit lead Rachel, but leave input sheets unlocked for the FP&A team. Confirm that ranges named Inputs remain editable and that pivot caches still refresh.

Before I lock anything down, make the file easy to review and safe to protect: identify and list all formula cells and key reconciliation tables, unlock the two input sheets named ‘Assumptions’ and ‘Actuals’, and add a short warning comment on protected sheets explaining who to contact for changes. Flag any macros or linked sheets that will stop working when protection is applied.

I protected the schedule but someone still overwrote formulas on row 40. I don’t know whether I missed locking that range or whether a macro is running with elevated permissions. What’s the most likely cause, and what immediate steps secure the model without disrupting the planning team’s inputs? Include how to test protection and how to communicate password custody to avoid future accidental edits.

Every quarter handoff results in broken formulas because recipients edit the wrong cells. I need a durable habit that keeps the model intact across reviews. Recommend a protection policy: when to lock sheets, which areas remain editable, naming conventions for input sheets, and a short handoff checklist I can enforce so the model arrives whole at audit and planning meetings.