In Word 2007, how do I save a file as read-only?
That may be something of a loaded question -- it depends on what you mean as
"read-only".
First, let's get one common expectation out of the way. There is only one way to
make absolutely sure that a document can't be altered and saved again: Don't let
anyone else see it. Ever. If an unscrupulous individual has enough motivation,
determination, and time, any document can be duplicated and deliberately
altered, probably undetectably so.
So... starting at the low end of "protection", you can open the Save As dialog,
click the Tools button in the lower left, choose General Options, and check the
box in the dialog that says "Read-only recommended". Then complete the Save As
(to the same or a different file name). When that document is opened, a message
box will ask whether you want to open it read-only, open it normally, or cancel.
If you choose read-only, that doesn't stop you from editing; it's just that when
you hit Save, it opens the Save As dialog as a reminder to save this version as
a different file. You can, if you want, Save As to the same file.
The next step up isn't really a Word thing but a Windows thing. In any of the
file dialogs, or in Windows Explorer, right-click the file, choose Properties,
and check the Read-only box. That really will prevent you from saving to the
same file name, unless you go back to the Properties dialog and uncheck the box.
Getting more serious, you can apply passwords that have to be entered before the
document can be opened and/or modified. This is also in the Save As > Tools >
General Options dialog; and the password-to-open is also in Office button >
Prepare > Encrypt Document. The password-to-open actually encrypts the document
-- without the password, you're locked out, so don't lose it. There are hacker
programs that claim to be able to break the encryption, but I wouldn't touch
that.
So far the top of the line is Information Rights Management (IRM), applied from
Review > Protect Document > Restricted Access. This requires, among other
things, access to an IRM server for anyone who wants to open the document. For a
description of this feature, see
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA101029181033.aspx.
