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If you have sensitive information in Microsoft Word, you can take steps to protect the document. You might want to make sure that only you and certain people can read or edit it. You might want to limit the types of changes someone can make. You may want to assure readers that this is the most recent version of the document. You can do all this and more if you know which tools to use in Word.
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The latest versions of Microsoft Word offer a variety of options for securing your documents, such as read-only mode, password protection, editing restrictions, and digital signatures. You can also mark a document as final so others know it hasn’t changed since you last saved it.
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These options work in Word 2016, 2013, and 2010, but we’ll use the Microsoft 365 version of Word for this guide. The option to mark a document as final and read-only are two separate options in this version, but they were combined in previous versions of Word.
You can make sure that no one can edit a document by making it read-only. Open File > Info > Document Protection to see your security options. From the Protect Document menu, select Always Open Only Read Only. Now save the document, close it and open it again.
Word displays a message that the author would like you to open as read-only unless you need to make changes. Click Yes to open the document in read-only mode. Of course, anyone can say no and open the document in edit mode. The goal is for users to open the document in read-only mode, reducing the chance of making unwanted changes.
To remove the read-only restriction, open the document in edit mode. Click the File menu, go to Info > Document Protection > Always Open Read Only.
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You can encrypt a document with a password by going to File > Info > Document Protection and selecting the Encrypt with Password option. Word will ask you to create a password for the document. Be sure to use a complex but memorable password, as there is no way to recover or reset the password if you forget it.
Now save the document, close it, and reopen it, and Word will prompt you (and anyone else) to enter a password to access the document.
To remove the password, click the File menu, go to Info, select Document Protection, and click Encrypt with Password. A pop-up window will appear where you can delete the hidden password, then click OK. Save and close the document again, and the next time you open it, you won’t be prompted for a password.
You can limit the ways in which you can edit your document. Click File > Info > Protect Document and select Reduce Editing. Your document then displays a Reduce edit panel on the right side of the document for formatting and editing restrictions. Here, you can give users permission to read your document, choose which parts they can edit, and choose how they do it.
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Check the box next to “Restrict formatting to style options” so that users can change the format of your document. Click Settings to open a formatting restrictions popup that shows all the style changes allowed by default. You can keep it as is, change it to Recommended minimum or None. If you’re not sure which setting to choose, select Minimum Recommended.
You can also check any of the three options in the Formatting section to prevent AutoFormat from overriding formatting restrictions, block the ability to change themes or layouts, and block the ability to change QuickStyle sets. If you are unsure, leave these three settings unchecked. Click OK to close the Format Constraints window.
In the Editing Restrictions section, check the box next to “Allow only this type of editing on the document” to specify how readers can modify the content of the document. Click the drop-down menu below to choose from four options:
If you select the Comments or No Changes (read-only) option, you can create exceptions to allow users to edit parts of your document. In the Exceptions section, check the All box and select any part of the document you want to edit.
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After everything is set, click “Yes, start setting up protection”, enter and retype the password and click OK. Save the document, close it, and reopen it to see that the editing controls on the top ribbon are grayed out. If you have allowed editing in certain parts of the document, click in that area and the controls will become available again.
To disable protection, click the Review tab and click the Reduce Editing icon. Click the Stop Protection button at the bottom of the Restrict Editing panel, then enter your password and click OK. Deselect the formatting and editing restrictions options that appear in the table.
To protect your document with a digital signature, open File > Info > Document Protection and select Add Digital Signature. This tells people who read your document that you and no one else signed it, indicating that you were the last person to review and save it.
To create a digital signature, you will need a signature certificate. The first time you do this, Word sends a message asking if you want to set up a digital signature. Click Yes and a Microsoft help page will appear to help you find your digital ID. Try links from different providers to get a digital ID. Then click the link “Add or remove a digital signature to Office files”. Scroll down the page to learn how to add a digital signature.
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Dd digital signature. Fill in the required fields and click the Sign button. You will be prompted to confirm the digital signature, then click OK.
Your document is digitally signed and read-only. Word explains that the document has been signed and marked as final, and if someone falsifies it, the signatures will become invalid. Anyone who opens the document will see a notification about your digital signature.
Instead of using a digital signature, you can mark the document as final in a more informal way. Open File > Info > Document Protection and select Mark as Final. Word will notify you that the document is final and will be saved. Marking a document as final disables writing, editing, and proofreading, and a message appears to all readers saying the document is complete.
When someone opens the document, they will see a message at the top of the screen informing them of the status of the file. However, the reader can make changes to the document if they click the Edit button. When this button is clicked, they can edit the document and save it again.
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The ultimate goal of this option is not to prevent anyone from editing the document, but to tell readers that this is the final recommended version. If someone wants to edit the document further, their actions will be recorded. When a document is marked as final and then edited again, the original person who locked it is still listed as the author, and the other person will be saved as having last modified the document.
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Since the beginning of 2016 I have been writing tutorials, guides and other articles about consumer technology. In addition, I have written news articles and tutorials for many other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, Popular Science, Time, Fortune, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I have also written two books for Wiley & Sons: We use cookies to make it great. By using our website, you accept our cookie policy.Cookie settings
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This article was written by Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene Antonelli is a technology writer and editor. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working in the technology field. In 2012, he completed his master’s degree at Rowan University and wrote his dissertation on online communities and the personalities cultivated in those communities.
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