When sharing an microsoft Office document with colleagues or a group, making sure the content remains accurate is critical, that is the main reason you need to know how to restrict document editing in Microsoft Office. Although someone has to add a password to secure a document, people with access have to still create undesired changes, which have to result in delays or communication of incorrect data.
If someone uses Microsoft Office or an older version, someone has to apply several features to restrict editing to a section or entire document, spreadsheet, or exhibition to stop users from making changes accidentally.
In this Windows guide, we walk someone through multiple methods to restrict document editing and stop accidental changes in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
How To Restrict Document Editing in Microsoft Office
In Microsoft Office, someone has to apply the restrict editing apparatus to control formatting, style, in addition to types of content consumers are permitted to update to stop undesired changes.
How To Restrict Document Editing in Microsoft Office
Restricting modifications in Microsoft Word
To restrict style and formatting editing in Word, use these steps:
Open the Word document.
- press on the File.
- press on the Info.
- On the right side, press the secure-document menu.
- Select the Restrict Editing preference.
- Under the Formatting restrictions section, look out for the Limit formatting to a selection of styles preference.
- press the settings preference.
- Clear the styles that someone desire to restrict starting with editing.
Tip: someone has to also use the All, Prescribed Minimum, and None buttons to speedily permit or deny a group of styles.
- Optional under the Formatting section, select the formatting that someone desire to permit or deny:
Permit AutoFormat to override formatting restrictions.
- Block Theme or Scheme switching.
- Block Quick style set switching.
- Press the OK button.
- press the Yes button to remove or the No button to retain the original changes formatting or styles that are presently restricted.
- Check the Permit only this type of editing in the document preference.
- Use the drop-down menu to select a preference that finest suits your situation, comprising:
No changes Read-only.
- Tracked changes.
- Comments.
- filling in forms.
Tip: If someone desire consumers to only watch the content while preventing unintentional changes, use the No changes Read-only preference and set a password on previously mentioned steps.
- Optional Applying the mouse, select the fragment of the document that consumers are permited to edit without restrictions.
- Under the Exceptions section, select the group or consumer press the ‘More consumers preference’ someone desire to permit to edit the fragment of the document selected.
- Under the commence enforcement section, select the Yes, commence Enforcing Protection button.
- Optionally select the Password preference.
- press the OK button.
- Once someone completes these steps, the application will block consumers starting with creating undesired changes based on your configuration.
If someone changes your mind, someone has to continuously revert the settings applying the same instructions, however, on the previous step, press the stop Protection button at the bottom of the Restrict Editing pane in the right side.
How To Restrict Document Editing in Microsoft Office
Restricting modifications in Excel
To restrict editing to a sheet in Excel, use these steps:
Open the Excel document.
- press on the File.
- press on the Info.
- On the right side, press the secure Workbook menu.
- select the secure current sheet preference.
- optional set a password to unlock the sheet.
- Check the secure worksheet and contents of locked cells preference.
- select the edits consumers are permited to make.
- press the OK button.
- Re-enter the password to confirm.
- Press the OK button.
- After completing the steps, consumers will only be permitted to create changes based on the settings that you specified.
If someone no longer needs to secure an Excel sheet, someone has to revert the changes applying the same instructions, however on earlier step, make sure to press the Unsecure option on the right side.
Secure workbook structure
In addition to restricting edits to the sheet, someone has to also pr ocassion undesired changes to the structure of the workbook with these steps:
Open the Excel document.
- Press on the File.
- Press on the Info.
- On the right side, press the secureWorkbook menu.
- select the secureWorkbook structure preference.
- Optional set a password to permit changes.
- Under the secure workbook for section, look out for the structure preference.
- press the OK button.
- Re-enter the password to confirm.
- press the OK button.
- Once someone completes these steps, consumers will not be able to modify the structure of the workbook, all at once adding, moving, deleting, hiding or renaming worksheets.
You have to continuosly undo the changes applying the same instructions until the earlier steps.
How To Restrict Document Editing in Microsoft Office
Restricting modifications in MsWord
If someone doesn’t desire anyone to create accidental changes to a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document, someone has to configure the file to continuosly uncovered as read-only.
To open a document continuously in read-only mode, use these steps:
Open the Office document.
- press on the File.
- press on the Info.
- On the right side, press the secure document menu.
- select the Always Open Read-Only preference.
- After completing these steps, the document will continuously uncover in read-only mode to pr occasion accidental changes. If someone must insert an update, close and re-open the document, and press the No button in the dialog box.
How To Restrict Document Editing in Microsoft Office by marking documents as final in Microsoft Office
Alternatively, someone has to also mark a Word, Excel, and PowerPoint document as final to stop unintentional changes.
To mark an Office document as final, use these steps:
Open the Office document.
- press on the File.
- press on the Info.
- On the right side, press the securedocument menu.
- select the Mark as Final preference.
- press the OK button.
- press the OK button again.
- Once someone completes these steps, the document will be marked as final, and as a result, changing comments, typing, and proofing will be disabled, preventing consumers from starting with creating changes.
You have to continuously undo the setting applying the same instructions until earlier steps are achieved.
While marking a document as final disables editing, consumers will still be able to unlock the document to create changes. Though it is a handy feature to let consumers recognize that the file has been finalized and to stop unintentional changes that have to go unnoticed.
