Sign in with Microsoft
Sign in or create an account.
Hello,
Select a different account.
You have multiple accounts
Choose the account you want to sign in with.

Symptoms

When a Word 2010 or Excel 2010 document is selected on the Windows Desktop, the context menu will provide a menu option to 'Open as Read Only'. For the Office Starter 2010 product, the context menu displayed when the right mouse button is pressed will display this option. For other Office 2010 products, this menu option is provided when the <Shift> key on the keyboard is pressed while pressing the right mouse button. However, when the file is opened in this way, it does not open as 'Read Only', and it can be saved with changes.

Cause

This issue is currently being investigated by Microsoft.

Resolution

If the document is saved using the Restricted Permissions, the ability to make changes can be controlled. To restrict the ability to make changes to a document in Word 2010, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the document in Word 2010.

  2. Select the 'Review' tab.

  3. Click on the 'Protect Document' button, and choose 'Restrict Formatting and Editing'.

  4. In the task pane on the right side of the window, select 'Allow only this type of editing in the document'.

  5. Accept 'No changes (Read only)'.

  6. Click on the button - 'Yes, Start Enforcing Protection'.

  7. Save the file.


To restrict the abiltiy to make changes to a document in Excel 2010, follow the steps below.

  1. Open the document in Excel 2010.

  2. Select the 'Review' tab.

  3. Set restrictions using 'Protect Sheet', 'Protect Workbook', and 'Allow Users to Edit Range's as is appropriate.

  4. Save the file.



More Information

A Help topic discussing restricting the modification of Word and Excel documents is available online (Restrict changes to files in Word and Excel) at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/restrict-changes-to-files-in-word-and-excel-HA010354323.aspx?CTT=1.

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Was this information helpful?

What affected your experience?
By pressing submit, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services. Your IT admin will be able to collect this data. Privacy Statement.

Thank you for your feedback!

×