how to protect word document but allow editing

Password protection has been around since Word 2007. You can edit the document again by clicking on the “Edit Anyway” button displayed with a yellow strip at the top. You can recognize that a document has been marked as Final when the Mark As Final icon displays in the status bar. This document has been marked as final to indicate that the editing is complete and that this is the final version of the document.When a document is marked as final, the status property is set to “Final” and typing, editing commands and proofing marks are turned off. You will get an information box stating the following: Word will ask for a confirmation stating that the document will be marked as final and then saved. Click on the “Protect Document” drop down button.Ĥ. Follow the steps below to mark the document as final and make it read-only.Ģ. This feature is called marking the document as final.

This is very similar to converting the document to PDF format so that it becomes the final copy without editable content.

Locked Content Controls - (possible, but does not send the same kind of message as a password challenge)Įdit: And I should mentioned that this will ideally be a solution that does not involve macros.Microsoft Word 2013 allows the user to make documents read-only so that no one else will be able to edit the document.

Master document - (not suitable, need everything in a single file).

Insert document as object - (not suitable, only shows first page).

So my question:Īre there any clever workarounds that will enable part of a document to be protected while another part of the document can be edited with track changes? The problem is that the ability to Track Changes is required in Section 3 AND the option to Track Changes is disabled while the document is protected for Filling in Forms. It allows users to add and edit text in Section 3. In MS Word 'Restrict Editing' > 'Filling in Forms' is applied to Sections 1 & 2 to prevent accidental changes - this works well. Section 3: A place for documenting agreed variations Section 1: Fillable form with fields that users enter data into Like most structured documents, section-breaks are used to identify the various parts of the document: In MS Word there are options to protect documents, my (clients) document is a contract and so, for the most part, I'd like to protect it. Track Changes is Disabled when Restrict Editing is Turned On

How to protect word document but allow editing