Q: How do I Password Protect My Word Document?

To encrypt your file and set a password to open it:

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Prepare, and then click Encrypt Document.
2. In the Encrypt Document dialog box, in the Password box, type a password, and then click OK. You can type up to 255 characters. By default, this feature uses AES 128-bit advanced encryption. Encryption is a standard method used to help make your file more secure.
3. In the Confirm Password dialog box, in the Reenter password box, type the password again, and then click OK.
4. To save the password, save the file.

Remove password protection from a Word document:

1. Use the password to open the document.
2. Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Prepare, and then click Encrypt Document.
3. In the Encrypt Document dialog box, in the Password box, delete the encrypted password, and then click OK.
4. Save the file.

Set a password to modify a Word document:

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button , click Save As, and on the bottom of the Save As dialog, click Tools.
2. On the Tools menu, click General Options. The General Options dialog opens.
3. Under File sharing options for this document, in the Password to modify box, type a password.
4. In the Confirm Password dialog, re-type the password. Click OK.
5. Click Save.