To password-protect a Word document on Windows and Mac, you should use Microsoft Word on both operating systems.
Locking Word documents helps with privacy and data protection and is a common practice for legal papers, business files, and contracts. In addition to these advantages, securing Word files with passwords also comes with certain downsides if not done correctly (e.g., weak passwords can be breached).
Therefore, it is crucial to know how to properly password-protect a Word document and when password-protecting PDF files using designated tools like PDF.net is smarter than using Word ones.
How to Password-Protect a Word Document on Windows
To password-protect a Word document on Windows, you need to open the file, find the password-protection option, and set the password.
Let’s take a detailed look at these steps:
- Find the document you want to protect and double-click it to open it.
- Click the File menu in the top-left corner.
- Choose Protect Document and select Encrypt with Password.
- Type in the password and click OK.
- Save the changes by clicking the Save icon in the upper-left corner.
How to Password-Protect a Word Document on Mac
To password-protect a Word document on a Mac, you should use Microsoft Office for macOS to open it, find the protection feature, set the password, and save the file.
Here’s how to do this:
- Double-click your Word file to open it.
- Click the Review menu
- Select the Protect drop-down menu and choose Protect Document.
- Enter the password, confirm it by re-entering, and click OK.
- Upon leaving, save the document using the automatic pop-up window.
Why You Should Password-Protect Your Word Documents
You should password-protect your Word documents to increase safety, facilitate sharing, and comply with the necessary data regulations if needed.
Let’s see the benefits of Word password protection in greater detail:
#1. Limited Accessibility
Restricting access to Word protects your documents from unwanted use. For instance, you may have to upload your file to a drive to which various people have access. Still, if you want to grant file access to specific individuals only, you can password-protect it and share the password just with them.
Additionally, you can password-protect multiple files by creating a different password for each document, which allows you to manage access for different people and files individually.
#2. Confidential Data Protection
You can password-protect documents containing sensitive information to prevent data leaks, as these may lead to various problems. For example, your file may include intellectual property, such as robotic prototypes that your business plans to launch in the near future.
If your competitors find details about this, they may use it for their own development, damaging your profit and reputation. Similarly, hackers may steal your valuable data and sell it to other companies, which can also endanger your business.
#3. Restricted Document Changes
As password-protecting a Word document restricts access, it automatically limits the opportunity to modify such a file. This means that your information is not only safe from copying or stealing but also from unauthorized editing.
Of course, this is important because some documents may contain data that users must not alter in any way. For instance, some factory machines may be dangerous if not used correctly, and the service manual can be the only source for safe use. So, before sharing the manual in a Word document, you can password-protect it to ensure that all instructions remain intact.
#4. Enhanced Regulatory Compliance
Due to the rise of technology, many countries, unions, and companies have proposed safety acts to protect people’s confidential data and privacy. Depending on where and what you use Word documents for, you may need to password-protect them to comply with specific security protocols.
For instance, as a product designer, you may have to lock Word files to comply with the Privacy by Design framework, which obliges you to keep essential business-related data private.
Additionally, such regulatory principles are also available globally, including the Privacy and data protection issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). These privacy guidelines regulate the collection, use, and protection of personal information worldwide.
Can Your Remove or Change Your Password Later?
You can remove or change your password after protecting a file using Microsoft Word. All you have to do is open your document, type in the password, find the protection feature, and enter the new password or erase the old one from the box.
While removing passwords from Word documents is easy, you will need a computer to do it or go through a tedious download process on mobile devices. In contrast to Word documents, managing PDF passwords is easier, especially with reliable tools like PDF.net.
Specifically, you can access our tools on any device, anytime, and from anywhere. Like Microsoft Word, we also offer software for changing passwords and unlocking PDFs, among other security features.
Convert Word to PDF for Extra Security
Converting Word to PDF provides additional security for your files, as there are stronger and more versatile ways to protect PDFs.
This is because Word allows you to use only short passwords, limiting combinations of different characters. Plus, the option to encrypt Word documents is equal to standard password protection, as it does not scramble the file text but only limits the file access.
On the other hand, you can password-protect PDFs and choose a strong password, mixing different symbols, characters, numbers, and letters. PDF file protection also implies advanced document encryption, which makes the text in your file unreadable and requires a long and complex key for decryption.
Finally, you can use the lock PDF tool to set restrictions for your files. Unlike Word, which only provides editing restrictions, PDF.net lets you disable the option to create new fillable forms and print documents.
Troubleshooting: What to Do if You Forgot Your Password
Accessing protected files is impossible without a password. So, if you forget your password, try your best to get it back by checking your password tools or documents or asking people you share it with for help.
If there is no option for you to recover the password this way, you can open your file in other programs, such as WordPad.
Another way to restore forgotten passwords is to download and install Word recovery tools or use similar software online. However, it is important to note that opening secured Word documents in programs other than MS Word may corrupt them or render their content useless. Plus, the success rate of recovery tools is low, as the password-cracking process usually ends in an error or a damaged file.
With all this in mind, our best advice is to create a copy of your unprotected Word document (if it is not public), which you can use in case you forget your password. Also, you can store your password in another file and keep it safe from others. Finally, we recommend using tools, such as PDF.net, to remember your passwords and be able to access them anytime.
Using PDF.net as the Best Solution for Additional Security
If you want security beyond Word password protection, use our PDF tools to maximize your experience. We offer strong protection software, which allows you to create more complex passwords than Word.
Also, you can encrypt PDFs on our website in several clicks for unbreachable security. In addition, PDF.net allows you to set various restrictions and prevent copying, printing, and filling, as well as make PDFs non-editable.
We encourage you to test our software and familiarize yourself with these high-end online protection tools to ensure maximum security and privacy for you and your documents.
How to Password-Protect a Word Document FAQ
#1. How do I set the password for the Word File?
You set the password for the Word file by opening the document in Microsoft Word, clicking the File menu, selecting the Encrypt with Password option, entering the password, and saving the changes.
#2. Can I lock a Word document without a password?
Yes, you can lock a Word document without a password by encrypting it. Encryption makes the file content unreadable, making it useless for people without a decryption key.
#3. Can you share a password-protected document?
Yes, you can share a password-protected document, as this security measure prevents file access but not sharing. You can email your document or share it via cloud drive, which others can open only if they have the password.