Question : How to prevent Run Time error 1004, the cell or chart you are trying to change is protected ?

I am developing an Access application with Excel using an Access interface. I import a txt file into an Excel workbook.

When I execute the following subroutine for the first time, it runs successfully and the Excel workbook gets populated. However, when I execute this subroutine for a 2nd time, I get the following:

Run-time error 1004
The cell or chart you are trying to change is protected and therefore read only.

To modify a protected cell or chart, first remove protection using the Unprotect Sheet command
(Tools menu, protection submenu). You may be prompted for a password.

The compiler stops on the line:

xlWb2.ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Copy Destination:=xlWsh.Range("A9")

----------------------------------------------------------

Private Sub Wachovia_Ret_Edit()
    Dim xlApp As Excel.Application
    Dim xlWb1 As Excel.Workbook, xlWb2 As Excel.Workbook
    Dim xlWsh As Excel.Worksheet
    Dim fil As String, irows As Integer
    Dim iShift As Integer
     
    fil = "C:\wachoviartn1.txt" ' Text file import - change folder and filename
    Set xlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
    xlApp.Visible = True
    xlApp.DisplayAlerts = False
    Set xlWb1 = xlApp.Workbooks.Open("C:\wachovia.xls")  ' Existing Excel workbook - change folder and filename
    Set xlWb2 = xlApp.Workbooks.Open(fil)
    Set xlWsh = xlWb1.Worksheets("RTN") ' Change to sheet of interest
    irows = xlWb2.ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Rows.count
    xlWb2.ActiveSheet.UsedRange.Copy Destination:=xlWsh.Range("A9")
    xlWb2.Close SaveChanges:=False
    xlWsh.Cells.Font.Size = 6
   
    xlWsh.Range("B7").HorizontalAlignment = xlRight
    xlWsh.Range("D7").HorizontalAlignment = xlRight
    xlWsh.Range("E:E").ColumnWidth = 85
   
    xlWsh.Range("A1") = "M S"
    xlWsh.Range("A2") = "Return Item Instructions"
    xlWsh.Range("A4") = "To: W Bank"
    xlWsh.Range("A5") = "Att: _____________________"
    xlWsh.Range("A7") = "Account Number"
    xlWsh.Range("B7") = "Paid Date"
    xlWsh.Range("C7") = "Check Number"
    xlWsh.Range("D7") = "Amount"
    xlWsh.Range("E7") = "Reason For Return                                                                                                                   "
    xlWsh.Range("E1") = "Date: " & Format(Now(), "mm/dd/yyyy")
         
    With xlWsh.Range("D9")
        With .Offset(irows + 7).Borders(xlEdgeBottom)
           .LineStyle = xlContinuous
           .Weight = xlMedium
           .ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
        End With
    End With
       
    With xlWsh.Range("A9")
     
       .Resize(irows).TextToColumns Destination:=xlWsh.Range("A9"), DataType:=xlDelimited, TextQualifier:=xlDoubleQuote, _
        ConsecutiveDelimiter:=False, Tab:=True, Semicolon:=False, Comma:=False, Space:=False, Other:=True, OtherChar:="|", _
        FieldInfo:=Array(Array(1, 2), Array(2, 1), Array(3, 2), Array(4, 1), Array(5, 1)), TrailingMinusNumbers:=True
               
       .Resize(RowSize:=irows, ColumnSize:=5).Borders.LineStyle = xlContinuous
                   
        With .Offset(irows + 7).Borders(xlEdgeBottom)
           .LineStyle = xlContinuous
           .Weight = xlMedium
           .ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
        End With
       
        With .Offset(irows + 8)
             .Offset(0, 0) = "Gary O"
             .Offset(0, 3) = "W Bank"
             .Offset(1, 0) = "Karen H"
             .Offset(2, 0) = "Jeannine E"
             .Offset(3, 0) = "Cinzia M"
             .Offset(5, 0) = "M S"
             .Offset(5, 3) = "Return Items Area"
             .Offset(7, 0) = "Bank Dept."
             .Offset(7, 3) = "Acknowledgement"
             .Offset(8, 0) = "         (517) 790-5436,5427"
             .Offset(9, 0) = "Fax # (517) 790-5444,5445"
             .Offset(9, 3) = "Fax # (515) 433-2153"
             .Offset(11, 1) = "Page _____ Of _____"
         End With
    End With
    xlWsh.Columns.AutoFit
    xlWsh.Columns("B:B").EntireColumn.AutoFit
    xlWsh.Columns("D:D").EntireColumn.AutoFit
    xlWsh.Cells.Locked = True
   
    xlApp.Intersect(xlWsh.Range("A" & irows + 8 & ":D" & irows + 16), xlWsh.UsedRange).Locked = False
    xlApp.Intersect(xlWsh.Range("E9:E" & irows + 16), xlWsh.UsedRange).Locked = False  'start at row 9 plus [irows - 1] plus 8 additional rows
   
    xlWsh.Range("D9:D65535").NumberFormat = "#,###.00"
    xlWsh.Protect PASSWORD:="myPassword"
   
    xlApp.DisplayAlerts = True
               
    With xlWsh.PageSetup
        .LeftMargin = xlApp.InchesToPoints(0.1)
        .RightMargin = xlApp.InchesToPoints(0.1)
        .TopMargin = xlApp.InchesToPoints(0.1)
        .BottomMargin = xlApp.InchesToPoints(0.1)
        .HeaderMargin = xlApp.InchesToPoints(0.1)
        .FooterMargin = xlApp.InchesToPoints(0.1)
        .Orientation = xlLandscape
        .FitToPagesWide = 1
        .FitToPagesTall = 1
       
    End With
               
    Set xlWsh = Nothing
    Set xlWb1 = Nothing
    Set xlWb2 = Nothing
    Set xlApp = Nothing
End Sub

Answer : How to prevent Run Time error 1004, the cell or chart you are trying to change is protected ?

Try to unprotect worksheet before the line where it stops
xlWsh.Unprotect "myPassword"

Regards,
Curt