How to secure your MS Word file
You may want to preserve and secure your Microsoft Office documents, regardless of their content, such as a long research project. Indeed, the transfer of your Word files from one computer to another, jeopardizes your work by risking their modifications.
It is now possible, to protect your texts with a password in order to access them at your convenience. Several other features are available to you thanks to Microsoft. We have selected for you the simplest methods, which are within the reach of everyone, you just have to read this article until the end.
How to secure your Microsoft world file with a password
The Microsoft software has integrated the functionality of securing your Word files with a password, in order to avoid opening them by anyone or risking to modify them or other. You can limit the access to your files, by forbidding or authorizing the access to your Word file. And for better security, feel free to hide your IP, here is Cyberghost Windows VPN to hide your IP.
If you are on Microsoft
You just have to open your file and go to the tab "information" and then to "protect your document", then you will find where to put your password and validate it.
If you are on mac
The steps are as simple as for Windows. Similarly, you open the Word file in question, then go to the "revision" tab. Once it is done, you go to "protect the document", then you enter your password and validate it.
To change your password, you only have to follow the same steps as for creating one, as in the previous cases. Moreover, in case you have forgotten your password, it is still possible for you to open your Word file, using a specialized software. Indeed, the password must be strong and mix letters, numbers, signs, and punctuation and contain no less than 8 characters.
Restrict modification in Windows
To restrict the modification of your Word files, go to the "file" tab, then "information", then click on the "restrict modifications" button. Word will automatically display a table in which you can choose your own restrictions. This feature can be very useful in a company for example, because you can even define exceptions for certain people.
Mark your Word file as final to open your document in read-only mode
If you share your workstation with other people, for example, you may want to avoid certain problems with your Microsoft Word files. Similarly, when encrypting via password, you always go to "file", then to "information", and go to "protect document" and choose "mark as final".
This option allows you to open your file in "read only" mode. In this case, you have the choice to modify it voluntarily by clicking on the "modify anyway" button. Don't forget to mark the last version as final after clicking on "save.
Convert your Microsoft Word file to PDF
A very simple trick that will allow you to have your Word file intact and that will prevent your file from being modified in case of reading. However, you need to have the ADOBE PRO PDF version so that your PDF can be read everywhere. To create your PDF, you first open your Word file, then you go to the "file" tab, then you go to "export" and you create your PDF document.
We've seen the main ways to avoid wasting your long working hours. Microsoft has provided you with features that are supposed to help you and make your work easier. You don't need to be a computer professional to do this.
Just encrypt your Word files completely with a password, or allow them to be read but not modified, or simply convert them to PDF.
