WD2002: Protecting a Microsoft Word 2002 Document

The information covered in this article is provided by: Microsoft Press (http://mspress.microsoft.com/) .

This article explains how to protect a Microsoft Word document. This information is an excerpt from the Microsoft Word Step-by-Step book, Chapter 8: "Collaborating with Others."

You can use the security options in Word to protect the integrity of your document as others review it. At times, you will want the information in a document to be used, but not changed; at other times, you might want only specific people in your office to be able to view the document. To protect a document, you use the options on the Security tab in the Options dialog box.

In this dialog box, you can set a password that must be entered before someone can open or modify your document. Selecting the Read-only recommended check box allows you to display a message that suggests that the user open the document as read-only, a setting that lets someone read or copy the file, but not change or save it. Setting a document as read-only is useful when you want a document, such as a company-wide bulletin, to be distributed and read, but not changed. You can also use the Protect Document button on the Security tab to set passwords so that you can restrict who can track changes or enter comments.

When you set a password, take a moment to write it down. Word doesn't keep a list of passwords. If you lose or forget the password for a protected document, you will not be able to open it. To open a protected document, you need to enter the password in the exact same way that it was set, including spaces, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase characters. In this procedure, you set a password for a document. You save and close the document, and then you test the security of the document by entering an incorrect password. You open the document as read-only and then reopen it with the correct password. Finally, you remove the protection from the document.

1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Open button. The Open dialog box appears. Open a document.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
   
   The Options dialog box appears.
3. Click the Security tab to display security options.
4. In the Password to modify box, type tgc3.
   
   As you type the password, asterisks appear instead of the characters you type to keep your password confidential.
   
   TIP: Passwords should never be common words or phrases, and the same password should never be used for multiple documents.
5. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.
   
   The Confirm Password dialog box appears.
6. In the Reenter password to modify box, type tgc3.
7. Click OK to set the password.
8. On the Standard toolbar, click the Save button to save the document.
9. Click the Close Window button in the document window.

To open the protected document with read-only and then full privileges, follow these steps:

1. On the Standard toolbar, click the Open button.
   
   The Open dialog box appears.
2. Open the file you created in the earlier procedure.
3. The Password dialog box appears.
   
   This document is now protected by the password that you set.
4. In the Password box, type tgc1, and then click OK.
   
   A message appears, indicating that you typed an incorrect password. In the message box, click OK.
5. In the Password dialog box, click Read Only.
   
   The document opens as a read-only document. (Read-Only) appears in the title bar.
6. Click the Close Window button in the document window.
   
   The read-only document closes.
7. On the Standard toolbar, click the Open button.
   
   The Open dialog box appears.
8. Reopen the file.
   
   The Password dialog box appears.
9. Type tgc3, and then click OK.
   
   After you type the correct password, the document opens.
10. On the Tools menu, click Options.
    
    The Options dialog box appears.
11. Click the Security tab, if necessary, select the contents in the Password to modify box, press DELETE, and then click OK.
    
    The password protection is removed.
12. On the Standard toolbar, click the Save button to save the document.
13. Click the Close Window button in the document window.
    
    The document closes.

The information in this article is an excerpt from the Microsoft Word 2002 Step-by-Step book, published by Microsoft Press.

(http://mspress.microsoft.com/prod/books/sampchap/5050a.htm)

Learn More About Microsoft Word 2002 Step-by-Step (http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/5050a.aspx)

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