Objective 1.2: Prepare Documents For Review
- 1.2.1 Restrict editing.
- 1.2.2 Mark a document as final.
- 1.2.3 Protect a document with a password.
OBJECTIVE 1.2: Contents
1.2.3 Protect a document with a password.
Protecting a document with a password
When you save a document from the Save As dialog box, you can display the General Options dialog box and then define a password that users need to enter to open the document, in addition to a password that’s required to modify the document.
Important: Be careful to retain the passwords you assign. Word provides no way for you to recover these passwords.
Keep in mind that requiring users to enter a password before they modify a document is intended to protect a document from unintentional editing. Defining this password does not encrypt a document to help secure it from malicious users.
Tip: Encryption enhances the security of a document by scrambling the contents so that it can be read only by someone who has a password or another type of key.
To protect a document through encryption, you can use the Protect Document command on the Info page of the Backstage view. When you define an encryption password, Word cautions you that the password cannot be recovered.
To define passwords required to open or modify a document
1. In the Save As dialog box, click Tools, and then click General Options.
2. In the General Options dialog box, do either or both of the following:
• In the Password to open box, enter a password for opening the document.
• In the Password to modify box, enter a password for making modifications.
3. In the General Options dialog box, click OK.
4. In each Confirm Password dialog box that opens, reenter the appropriate password.
5. In the Save As dialog box, click Save.
To encrypt a file with a password
1. On the Info page of the Backstage view, click Protect Document, and then click Encrypt with Password.
2. In the Encrypt Document dialog box, enter the password you want to use, and then click OK.
3. In the Confirm Password dialog box, reenter the password, and then click OK.
To remove password protection
1. Open the General Options dialog box or Encrypt Document dialog box.
2. Delete the password that you want to remove, and then click OK.