Passwords on a Word 97 document

Passwords on a Word 97 document

Document number: 18048

Some Microsoft Office applications let you assign passwords to documents as a way to prevent unauthorized users from opening or editing them. Additionally, you have the option to password either opening or editing a chosen document. Click on one of the choices below for detailed steps:

Apply a password to a document
Remove a password from a document

Apply a password

With your document open in Word, the following steps will apply your chosen password and save your file:

From the File menu, select Save As.
Click on the Options button.
For a password for opening the file, enter the password in the Password to open field.
For a password for changing or modifying the file, enter the password in the Password to modif y field.
You may click in the Read-only recommended box if you want to prompt users that the file should be opened as read-only unless changes to it need to be saved.
- If the user clicks Yes at that prompt, the file will be opened as read-only. If they click No, the file can be modified and saved by the user.
Click on the OK button.
Enter your password again in the Reenter password field to confirm it.
Click on the Save button in the Save As box.

Note: Once a password is assigned, it is required for access to the document. If the password is forgotten, there is no way to fully access the document (open or modify, depending on how it was set up).

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Remove a password

To Remove a password from a document:

From the File menu, select Save As.
Click on the Options button.
Highlight the contents of either the Password to open or the Password to modify field, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. To remove both passwords, do this individually for each field.
Click on the OK button.
Click on the Save button. Failure to save at this point will repopulate the password field(s).

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