Last week, we password protected PDFs in Adobe Acrobat. This week, we are going to password protect files in Microsoft Word. We will also look at how to remove passwords from Word files.
Table of Contents
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The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. We will cover this topic in Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.
How to Password Protect Files
Important Note: This password will restrict who can open the file. It won’t restrict who can edit the file once opened. For a full tutorial about restricting editing, please see my previous tutorial “How to Restrict Editing in Microsoft Word.”
- Select the File tab in the ribbon.
- Select Info in the Backstage view.
- Select the Protect Document button.
- Select Encrypt with Password from the drop-down menu.
- Type the password into the Encrypt Document dialog box.
Important Note: Read the Caution statement explaining that Word does not provide a way to retrieve lost passwords. (You don’t want to get locked out of your own Word file!)
- Select the OK button.
- Retype the password in the Confirm Password dialog box.
- Select the OK button.
A note should appear near the Protect Document button stating that a password is required to open the document.
- Save your file.
How to Remove Passwords from Files
- Open the Word file using the password.
- Select the File tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
- Select Info in the Backstage view (see figure 2).
- Select the Protect Document button (see figure 3).
- Select Encrypt with Password from the drop-down menu (see figure 4).
- Delete the characters in the Encrypt Document dialog box.
- Select the OK button (see figure 7).
- Save your file.