HOW TO PASSWORD PROTECT A MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT SafeBytes Software

There are plenty of reasons why you would want to password protect a Word document. Whether you are handling confidential documents, sharing your computer with family members, or you simply don’t want any alterations to be made to the file by accident. This is why protecting a document with a password can be one of best ways to make sure its integrity remains intact.

In case you are wondering how to do it, keep on reading, as we have provided a step-by-step instructional for you.

IF YOU ARE USING MICROSOFT WORD 2010/2013 TO CREATE DOCUMENTS, YOU WILL NEED TO DO THE FOLLOWING:Open the document you wish to protect, and click on File, which is located in the upper-left corner.

You will be provided with a list of tabs located on the left. Choose the Info tab, although in all likelihood, you won’t even have to do that, because it will already be open.

Click the Protect Document button in order to access the drop-down menu which will provide you with a list of options on how to protect your Word document.

Select the second option, which should be titled Encrypt with a Password.

Enter the password with which you wish to protect the document. You will be asked to repeat the password so make sure you make a note of it.

In order for these changes to work, you have to save the document.

That’s pretty much it. Now each time someone else tries to open your document, they will be required to provide a password.

Something to keep in mind is that Microsoft Word doesn’t have a way of helping you in case you forget the password, so make sure you write it down somewhere safe in case you forget it.

On another note, you have to password protect each document individually, as opposed to putting a password on a batch of documents.

If you want to remove the password, repeat each of the previous steps up to where you will be required to enter a password. Simply leave the field blank, and the password will be removed.

IF YOU ARE USING MICROSOFT WORD 2007:

This version of Word has the Microsoft Office button located in the upper-left corner. Click on it to access the menu.

Locate the Prepare option and hover your mouse over it for a bit.

Once the selected menu has appeared, choose Encrypt Document.

Enter the password just like we have described in the previous section, and then re-enter it.

Save the document.

Once again, if you fail to remember the password you have chosen for the document, you won’t be able to access it, so store it somewhere else just in case you need it later. The password removal process is virtually identical to the one we’ve already described.

One of the ways you can go around opening password protected Word documents is by using third-party software’s in order to crack the password. However, Microsoft password protection is notoriously hard to break, so more often than not, these apps don’t yield a positive outcome.

Now that you know everything there is to know about protecting your important Word documents, you can set your mind at ease, even when you are letting someone else use your computer.