How Do I ... Password Protect Office 2007/2010 Word and Excel Documents

Contents

• Introduction
• Microsoft Word Password Protection
• Microsoft Excel Password Protection
• Attaching Password Protected Files to Email Messages
• Opening Password Protected Attachments

Introduction

This document decscribes how to Password Protect your Word or Excel documents in both the 2007 and 2010 Versions of Microsoft Office.

For Password protection instructions Office 2003 Versions of Word and Excel, see How Do I ... Password Protect Office 2003 Word and Excel Documents?

Microsft Word and Microsoft Excel both have the ability to assist you in protecting your document's security. This "How Do I" document provides you with the steps necessary to protect your document from prying eyes.

Please remember that when password protecting a document, the person who is receiving the document must also have the password or they will not be able to view or modify it.

IMPORTANT: Do not include the password in the same email as the file you are sending. If the email is intercepted the person intercepting it will have both the document and the password, defeating the purpose of password protecting the document in the first place.

Microsoft Word Password Protection

Once you have completed your document there are only a few simple steps required to protect it. First left-click either the Office Globe in the top Left-hand corner, or the File Menu and then Click on info.

Now click on the "Protect Document" button at the top of the screen, this will show you a list of options.  Choose "Encrypt with Password" and a dialog box will open.

Once the Encrypt Document window is open you must enter a password in the  'Password:'  box. Doing this prevents anyone from being able to open the document without the password you assign.

Remember to use a unique password that will not be easy for someone else to figure out.  

Click on OK once you have chosen a password. The window shown below will appear asking you to verify the password you entered.

Once you have done this you will see the following message on the File menu.

Now you simply need to save the document as you normally would and forward it as usual

If you require assistance with attaching the document to an email message refer to  'Attaching Password Protected Files to Email Messages' .

Microsoft Excel Password Protection

Once you have completed your workbook there are only a few simple steps required to protect it.  First left-click either the Office Globe in the top Left-hand corner, or the File Menu and then Click on info.

Now click on the "Protect Document" button at the top of the screen, this will show you a list of options.  Choose "Encrypt with Password" and a dialog box will open.

Once the Encrypt Document window is open you must enter a password in the  'Password:'  box. Doing this prevents anyone from being able to open the document without the password you assign.

Remember to use a unique password that will not be easy for someone else to figure out.  

Click on OK once you have chosen a password. The window shown below will appear asking you to verify the password you entered.

Now you simply need to save the document as you normally would and forward it as usual

If you require assistance with attaching the document to an email message refer to  'Attaching Password Protected Files to Email Messages' .

Attaching Password Protected Files to E-mail Messages

If you have questions about attaching your now-password protected documents to an email message please refer to the  How Do I ... Understand Email Attachments

Opening Password Protected Attachments

There is only one extra step required when you are trying to open a password protected Word or Excel file that you have received.
As you are opening the file in the normal way, you will see the dialogue box below open up. It requires that you enter the password chosen by the person who created the file. Enter it into the white box and hit OK and the file will open.