I just retested this Copy/Paste of Tracked Changes and Comments under Word 2011 for the Mac and Word 2010 for the PC. The results vary. Regarding the PC with 2010 version. Regardless of the Show Tracking settings in the Source document, the tracked changes DO NOT transfer from the source Word document to the destination Word document. He usually pastes a scanned copy of his signature into the document. The only way to stop your signature from potentially being misused is. Word, however, also offers digital signatures for your documents. This tip (12499) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office.


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In Microsoft Office, you can use passwords to help prevent other people from opening or modifying your documents, workbooks, and presentations. Also, you can use document protection to restrict the types of changes that reviewers can make.

Add protection in your Word document

  • In an open document, click File > Info > Protect Document.

    You see the following options.

    • Mark as Final: Make the document read-only.

      When a document is marked as final, typing, editing, commands, and proofing marks are disabled or turned off and the document becomes read-only. The Mark as Final command helps you communicate that you're sharing a completed version of a document. It also helps prevent reviewers or readers from making inadvertent changes to the document.

      When you mark a document as final, Word asks you to save the file. The next time you open it, you will see a yellow MARKED AS FINAL message at the top of the document. If you click Edit Anyway, the document will no longer be marked as final.

    • Encrypt with Password: Set a password for the document. Note: Keep your password in a safe place. If you lose or forget the password, it cannot be recovered.

      When you select Encrypt with Password, the Encrypt Document dialog box appears. In the Password box, type a password, and then type it again when prompted. Important: Microsoft cannot retrieve lost or forgotten passwords, so keep a list of your passwords and corresponding file names in a safe place.

  • Restrict Editing: Control what types of changes can be made to the document.

    When you select Restrict Editing, you see these options:

    • Formatting restrictions: This reduces formatting options, preserving a look and feel. Click Settings to select which styles are allowed.

    • Editing restrictions: You control how the file can be edited or you can disable editing. Click Exceptions or More users to control those who can edit.

    • Start enforcement: Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection to select password protection or user authentication. You can also click Restrict permission to add or remove editors who’ll have restricted permissions.

    • Restrict Permission by People: Use Windows Live ID to restrict permissions.

      Use a Windows Live ID or a Microsoft Windows account to restrict permissions. You can apply permissions via a template that is used by your organization, or you can add permissions by clicking Restrict Access.

  • Add a Digital Signature: Add a visible or invisible digital signature.

    Digital signatures authenticate digital information such as documents, email messages, and macros by using computer cryptology. Digital signatures are created by typing a signature or by using an image of a signature to establish authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation. See the link at the end of this topic to learn more about digital signatures.


In an open document, click File > Info > Protect Document.

You see the following options.

  • Remove Mark as Final: When you mark a document as final, Words asks you to save the file. The next time you open it, you will see a yellow MARKED AS FINAL message at the top of the document. If you click Edit Anyway, the document will no longer be marked as final.

  • Remove password encryption: To remove password encryption from the document, open the document and enter the password in the Password box. Then click File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password. Delete the contents of the Password box, click OK, and then save the document again.

  • Remove editing restrictions: To remove editing restrictions, click Stop Protection at the bottom of the Restrict Editing pane.

  • Remove or change restricted access: To remove or change restricted access, open the file, and then click Change Permission in the yellow bar at the top of the document.

  • Remove digital signature: To remove a digital signature, open the file, right-click the signature line, and click Remove Signature. Or, click the arrow next to the signature in the Signatures pane, and then click Remove Signature.

If you have any questions, come by the Help Desk at Hardman & Jacobs Undergraduate Learning Center Room 105, call 646-1840, or email us at help@nmsu.edu.

Word allows you to control the types of changes other people make to documents you distribute electronically. You can easily track any changes made to the document. Any text that has been changed displays in red. The procedure for restricting editing on a Word document is slightly different, depending on whether you are using a newer or older version of Word.

Word 2010 to 2016

To restrict editing on a Word document, click the File tab.

Being

On the File tab, click the Protect Document button and select the Restrict Editing option.

Classic games collection formatted for mac os x. The Restrict Formatting and Editing pane displays. To apply editing restrictions to the current document, select the Allow only this type of editing in the document check box under 2. Editing restrictions so there is a check mark in the box. Select one of the following options from the drop-down menu.

  • Tracked changes – This option allows you to track any changes made by unauthorized users. The changed text displays in red.
  • Comments – This option allows users to enter comments into the current document.
  • Filling in forms – This option allows the user to edit the forms in the current document.
  • No changes (Read only) – This option forbids anyone from making any changes to the current document.

To apply the chosen editing restrictions, click the Yes, Start Enforcing Protection button.

A dialog box displays asking for an option password. If you apply a password to the restricted document, this password is required to remove the restrictions. Enter a password, if desired, in the Enter new password edit box and again in the Reenter password to confirm edit box. Click OK.

NOTE: If you don’t want to apply a password to the document, click OK without entering a password. The restrictions will still be applied to the document. However, be warned that anyone can remove the restrictions from the document.

The restrictions have been applied to the document.

Any changes made to this document will now be tracked and display in red.

To remove the restrictions from the current document, access the Restrict Formatting and Editing pane as mentioned earlier in this section and click the Stop Protection button at the bottom of the pane.

If you applied a password to the restricted document, enter your password when prompted and click OK.

NOTE: When you stop protection on a document, any changes that were tracked, remain tracked until you accept or reject them. The full use of the tracking changes feature is beyond the scope of this post. For this post, we will just show you how to reject all changes so you can return your document to its original state.

To reject all the changes tracked in your document, click the Review tab (if it is not already active) and click the Reject button in the Changes section. Select Reject All Changes in Document from the drop-down menu.

All changes in the document are reverted and the document is returned to its original state.

To hide or show the Restrict Formatting and Editing pane, click the Review tab and click the Restrict Editing button.

However, hiding and showing the Restrict Formatting and Editing pane is done differently in Word 2007. To hide the Restrict Formatting and Editing pane, click the Review tab, click the Protect Document button, and select Restrict Formatting and Editing from the drop-down menu again.

In all versions of Word, if you select to allow users to enter comments into the document, you can specify which users are allowed to make comments in which parts of the document. Also, if you choose to allow no changes to be made to the document, you can specify which users are not allowed to make any changes.

Word 2007

To restrict editing on a Word 2007 document, click the Review tab on the ribbon bar.

Click the Protect Document button on the far right of the Review tab. Select Restrict Formatting and Editing from the drop-down menu so there is a check mark next to the option.

It’s worth noting that this feature provides very basic security for your document and can easily be bypassed by someone who is technically savvy. It’s a little harder to do in the newer versions of Word, but it’s still possible, so keep that in mind. Enjoy!