how to lock ppt from editing

7 Ways to Protect PowerPoint Presentation from Editing!

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Isn’t it annoying when you spend hours and hours creating a visually appealing presentation and do all the hard work, only to find out that your colleague or your manager has made changes to the presentation!

Intentional or not, now you’ve got to make the changes to your presentation again; some of which could have been easily avoided if you were able to prevent the presentation file from editing.

Here’s how to protect a PowerPoint presentation file –

Mark the presentation as “Final”
Restrict permission to PowerPoint
Save the presentation as a PowerPoint Show file
Set a password to modify PowerPoint
Convert PowerPoint to pictures
Convert PowerPoint to a PDF
Convert PowerPoint to a video

There are many applications of knowing how to protect your PowerPoint presentation.

So, in this article, let’s understand the 7 different ways to protect PowerPoint in further detail such that you can ensure that the person you are sharing your presentation with, will not be able to make changes to it.

Let’s get started!

1. How to Protect PowerPoint presentation from Editing?

We shall divide the 7 ways into two groups –

Prevent PowerPoint file from editing
Convert PowerPoint to make it uneditable

Prevent PowerPoint File from Editing

There are actually 4 ways in which you can prevent users from editing your PowerPoint presentation.

You can either mark the presentation as final, restrict the presentation by allowing access to specific users, save the presentation as a PPS file or set a password for your presentation.

All the 4 methods and the process to use them are explained elaborately in the following section –

Method 1 – Mark the Presentation as Final

By marking the PowerPoint presentation as final, the PowerPoint file will become “Read-only” .

Although this method doesn’t restrict people from editing your file. However, they will not be able to save changes to the original file. When using this method, PowerPoint will force users to save another copy of the presentation file; thereby protecting your presentation.

This method is especially helpful when you share the presentation over the same network within your organization or even when the presentation is saved on a cloud. It is also helpful when more than one person is working on the same presentation.

It is not a perfect fix, but a quick fix to the problem for sure.

The process of marking your PowerPoint presentation as final is given below –

Step-1: Click on the “File” tab

The first step of the process is to click on the “ File ” tab, which is the first option in the ribbon of your PowerPoint presentation. This will take you to the backend view of the PowerPoint.

Step-2: Select the “Info” option

After you have accessed the “ File ” tab, select the “ Info ” option which is the 4 th option in the tab. This will take you to a new page in the “ File ” tab.

Step-3: Select the “Protect Presentation” option

The third step is to select the “ Protect Presentation ” option in the “ Info ” section (as shown in the image in step 2). It is the first of the four boxes on the “ Info ” page.

After you click on the “ Protect Presentation ” option, a drop-down menu will appear on your screen.

Step-4: Click on “Mark as Final”

From the drop-down menu, select the “ Mark as Final ” option. It is located at the very bottom of the dropdown menu (as shown in the image in step 2).

Step-5: Hit the “OK” button

After you click on the “ Mark as Final ” option, a pop-up window will appear on your screen.

Simply click on the “ O K” button and the presentation will be saved as final. Once your presentation is “Saved as Final”, you won’t be able to edit this presentation going forward.

Thus, I recommend that you make this change once you’ve finished your presentation.

Method 2 – Restrict Permission

The next method is to restrict the permissions to edit a PowerPoint presentation.

In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to protect a PowerPoint presentation and to prevent users from editing the PowerPoint file!

By restricting permission, you will be able to allow specific users to access your PowerPoint presentation.

To use this feature in your presentation, follow step-1 through step-3 from the previous section and then follow the easy steps described below.

The first step is to click on the “ File ” tab to enter the backend view of your PowerPoint presentation.

Step-2: Click on the “Info” option

Now, click on the “Info” tab from the options in the left part of your screen.

Step-3: Select the “Restricted Access” option

The next step is to select the “ Restrict Access ” option from the drop-down menu of the “ Protect Presentation ” option. It is the 3 rd option in the drop-down menu (as shown in the image in step 2)

Once you click on the “ Restrict Access ” option, another drop-down menu will appear on your screen. Select the “ Restricted Access ” option which is the second option in the menu.

Step-4: Click on the checkbox

After you click on the “ Restricted Access ” option, a pop-up window will appear on your screen.

From the pop-up window, click on the “ Restrict permission to this presentation ” checkbox. It is located at the top of the pop-up window.

Step-5: Add the email address of the users

In the final step, all you have to do is type in the email addresses of the users with whom you want to share the presentation, in the “ Read ” option.

This will ensure that the users can only view the presentation file and not edit it. After that just click on the “ OK ” button located in the bottom right of the pop-up window.

Now, only the specified users will get permission to view the PowerPoint presentation.

Method 3 – Save the Presentation as a PPS file

Another method to prevent your PowerPoint presentation from editing and thus protecting it is to save the presentation as a PowerPoint Show file or a PPS file.

Saving a presentation as a PPS or PPSX will open the file directly in the presentation show mode when you open the file. Furthermore, when you exit the presentation show mode, the file will close and the user will not be able to access the content on the slides.

To save the presentation as a PPSX file, simply use the file “ Save As ” option, and choose the “ PPS ” file format from the “ File Format ” option.

I’ve written a detailed article on how to use the PPSX file in PowerPoint . If you need the step-by-step guide for the process, click on the link and check out the article for detailed guidance!

Method 4 – Set a Password to Modify PowerPoint

You can also set a password in order to prevent users from modifying a PowerPoint presentation. This method will prompt a password before opening a presentation.

Although this method will not help if you want to prevent people from editing the file as you will need to provide the password even to view the file. And, once the password is entered, the users will be able to make the changes.

However, this method is super helpful when you want to protect a PowerPoint presentation and prevent it from being access by unintended users.

To set a password to modify your PowerPoint presentation, follow the easy steps given below –

As before, click on the “ File ” tab in PowerPoint. This will open the backend view in PowerPoint from where you can enable additional settings.

Step-2: Select the “Encrypt with Password” option

The first step is to select the “ Encrypt with Password ” option from the drop-down menu. It is the 2 nd option on the menu.

Step-3: Enter your preferred password

After you select the “ Encrypt with Password ” option, a pop-up window will appear on your screen. In that pop-up window, type in your preferred password in the “ Password ” box. After that, click on the “ Ok ” button.

Once you click on the “ OK ” button, you will be taken to a new page in the pop-up window.

Step-4: Re-enter the password

Now, all you have to do is to re-enter the password on this page and then select the “ OK ” button again.

Once done, your PowerPoint presentation will be password protected and users will have to enter the password to access your PowerPoint presentation.

Make PowerPoint Uneditable Permanently?

In the 4 methods described above, you will be able to prevent or protect your PowerPoint presentation file. More importantly, you will be able to share the PowerPoint presentation with the intended users.

However, if sharing a PowerPoint file is not important, there are other ways in which you can protect your presentation and prevent it from being edited further!

Interestingly, the methods described below will allow you to make a copy of your presentation and make it completely uneditable!

There are 3 ways in which you can make your PowerPoint presentation uneditable permanently.

You can either convert the presentation into a picture or convert it into a PDF file or you can convert it into a video. Let’s take a look at the 3 methods below –

Method 1 – Convert PowerPoint to Picture

The first way to protect your PowerPoint presentation is to convert it to pictures.

To convert your PowerPoint presentation as a picture, you will have to use the “ Save As ” option from the “ File ” tab. Simply choose a picture file format from the “ File Type ” options in the “save as” window.

If you need further guidance on how to carry out this process, check out my other article on how to save PowerPoint as an image for full details.

Method 2 – Convert PowerPoint to a PDF

You can also convert your PowerPoint file to a PDF. This is actually one of the most common methods used when you want to prevent your client or colleague from editing the presentation.

The advantage to save PowerPoint as a PDF over saving it as an image is that when you save your PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file, it is saved all the slides in one file just as the case would be in a presentation.

However, when you save a presentation as a Picture, the slides usually get saved as individual images.

Although the process to save a PowerPoint as a PDF is quite similar to that of saving it as an image, but if you are unsure how to do this, check out our other article on how to convert PowerPoint as PDF that details the process in an easy manner!

Method 3 – Convert PowerPoint to a Video

You can also convert your PowerPoint to a Video in order to protect your PowerPoint file!

If you have a lot of animations in your presentation, and you want to retain the animations when you show it to your colleagues or the audience, but you don’t want them to edit the file, then you can convert the presentation to a video format.

This will allow you to retain the animations, and make the presentation uneditable.

Converting a PowerPoint to a video requires you to use the “ Save As ” function. However, there are a few additional things that you may need to keep in mind.

Check out our article on how to convert PowerPoint to Video for a full guide with helpful tips.

2. How to Password Protect a PowerPoint Presentation from Opening?

You can set a password that users will have to enter before they can access your PowerPoint presentation.

The process to password protect a PowerPoint presentation is elaborately explained in method 4 of the previous section of this article. Simply follow the steps explained in the earlier section and you will be able to add a password to your PowerPoint file.

3. How to Remove Password from a PowerPoint Presentation?

The process of removing the password from a PowerPoint file is quite straightforward. However, it is important to know the password in order to change or remove the password protection in PowerPoint.

Let’s take a look at how to remove a password from a protected PowerPoint presentation –

3a. If You Know the Password

If you remember the password to your PowerPoint presentation, open the PowerPoint file, go to the “ Encrypt Presentation ” option in the “Info” section of the “ File ” tab and follow the steps given below.

Step-1: Open the “Encrypt Password” option

The first step is to click on the “ File ” tab. Then, from the backend view, click on the “ Info ” option.

Next, click on the “ Protect Presentation ” option, and from the dropdown, select the “ Encrypt with Password ” option.

Step-2: Clear the Password from the box

Once you’ve clicked on the “ Encrypt Presentation ” option, clear the password from the “ Password ” box.

After you’ve cleared the password, simply hit the “ OK ” button, located at the bottom right corner of the pop-up window and the password will be removed immediately.

3b. If You Forget the Password

Unfortunately, there is no direct way of removing a password from your PowerPoint file.

To do this, you will have to use third-party software that will unlock the encrypted PowerPoint file for you.

The software that we would recommend is “iSunshare” . It is free to use, and you will be able to unlock more than just PPT files. To download the software from their website, click here .

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).

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Here’s which motorola phones will get android 15, the best wi-fi 7 routers of 2024, quick links, use the restrict access feature (business and enterprise only), make your presentation read-only or mark it as final, password protect your presentation, save your presentation as an image.

To preserve the integrity of your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to try to prevent others from editing it. Depending on the Office version you have, there are a few things you can do to block editing, or at least make it more difficult.

You can use the Restrict Access feature to protect your PPTX file from edits, but this feature is only available for Microsoft 365 for Business or Enterprise , and the feature must be enabled by your organization's administrator in the Microsoft 365 admin panel . That means if you're using any version below Microsoft 365 for Business, such as Home or Family, then you won't have this feature.

Related: How to Find Out Which Version of Microsoft Office You're Using (and Whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit)

If you are subscribed to a version that supports this feature, and if the admin of your organization has enabled it, you can locate "Restrict Access" under File > Info > Protect Presentation.

You can then set the restriction types and file access expiration dates.

Visit Microsoft's official doc site to learn more about Information Rights Management and how to use this feature.

Making your presentation read-only or marking it as final doesn't actually make your presentation un-editable. What this does is discourage others from making edits. It's also good for preventing accidental edits, as it makes you opt-in before you're able to make any changes to the content.

Related: How to Make a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation Read-only

To make your presentation read-only, or to mark it as final, open your PPTX file and click the "File" tab.

Next, click "Info" in the left-hand pane.

Now, in the Protect Presentation group, click "Protect Presentation."

Once selected, a drop-down menu will appear. You can choose between these two options to make your presentation read-only:

Always Open Read-Only: This asks the reader to opt-in to edit the presentation, which prevents accidental edits.
Mark as Final: This lets the reader know that this is the final version of the presentation.

Selecting either option will prevent the reader from editing the presentation---unless they opt-in to do so by clicking the "Edit Anyway" button in the banner.

While making your presentation read-only serves a purpose, it's a weak form of protection if you want to truly keep others from editing your content.

Related: How to Unlock Read-Only PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint has an option that lets you encrypt your presentation and only those with the password can access it. Again, this doesn't fully protect the content within the presentation, but if only those with the password have access, the chances of the presentation being edited are certainly lower.

This password isn't stored anywhere on your local machine. Be sure to store the password somewhere safe. If you forget or lose your password, you won't be able to access the presentation again.

To password protect your presentation, open PowerPoint, click the "File" tab, click "Info" in the left-hand pane, and then click the "Protect Presentation" option.

Next, click "Encrypt with Password" from the menu that appears.

The Encrypt Document window will appear. Enter your password in the Password text box and then click "OK."

Reenter the password and then click "OK" again.

Now anyone who tries to open the presentation will need the password to access it.

This method is more secure than simply making your presentation read-only. However, you're merely preventing people from opening the PPTX file. If they have the password, then they can also edit the presentation's content. Be careful who you share the password with. If you're worried the password may have been exposed , change the password immediately.

Related: How to Check if Your Password Has Been Stolen

If you want to deliver your PPTX file to someone, but don't want them to be able to copy or edit the content (easily, at least), then you can convert the PowerPoint presentation to an image file and send it that way.

Open the PowerPoint presentation, click "File," and then click "Save As" in the left-hand pane.

Browse to the location you would like to save the file and then, in the "Save As" box, choose the image file type you would like to save the presentation as. You can choose between:

Animated GIF Format (*.gif)
JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpg)
PNG Portable Network Graphics Format (*.png)
TIFF Tag Image File Format (*.tif)
Scalable Vector Graphics Format (*.svg)

Related: What's the Difference Between JPG, PNG, and GIF?

Once you save the presentation as an image, you can send it out to the desired recipients.

At the end of the day, there's no solid way to 100% protect your presentation. You can kindly ask recipients not to edit the content, password-protect your presentation so only those you want to have access to it can access it, or convert your presentation to an image or PDF , but even with these measures, if someone wants to edit something, they can always find a way.

Related: How to Save Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations as PDF Files

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Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to password protect your PowerPoint presentations

How to password protect your PowerPoint presentations

Learn how to password protect a PowerPoint presentation and get additional tips for keeping your online files safe even as you share them with your colleagues and contributors.

People sitting in front of a presentation

As the most versatile and widely used presentation software, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations often contain valuable content that requires protection. From company earnings results to trade secrets, students’ projects, or the questions and answers to a quiz, it’s essential for PowerPoint users to safeguard their sensitive data and confidential information, so that they won’t be easily accessed by hackers or unauthorized parties in general.

Why should you add password protection to your PowerPoint files?

A password is the easiest way to add a layer of protection to any of your files, and it’s an effective deterrent to ward off those who aren’t supposed to access them. If you’re sharing sensitive information at your work, or delivering a confidential presentation, a password will reduce the chance of a data breach or the misuse of your presentation’s contents.

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

There are many ways in which your files can fall into the wrong hands: whether you store them on a removable USB drive, which can be easily lost, or email an unencrypted file to a compromised account, adding a password adds an extra layer of security. If you’re sharing a PowerPoint presentation online with multiple collaborators, consider using secure cloud storage like Microsoft OneDrive .

By taking a few minutes to implement password protection, you gain peace of mind knowing that your data is safeguarded. Be sure to share your file access with only the people who are authorized to see it.

How to add a password to your PowerPoint presentation

Adding a password to protect your PowerPoint file is easy! Follow these steps to password protect your presentation :

Open your PowerPoint presentation and select File , then Info .
Select Protect Presentation . Here, you have multiple options on who can access, view, or edit your presentation.
Always Open Read-Only prevents viewers from accidentally making changes. Restrict Access allows you to select who can read, copy, or edit. Add a Digital Signature secures your file with proof that someone has opened it. Mark as Final lets your viewers know that they’re looking at the final draft of your presentation.
To add a password, select Encrypt with Password , the second option in the drop-down menu.
A dialog box will open. Enter your password and select OK .

Be sure to remember what your password is, as PowerPoint’s powerful encryption abilities will lock you out if you’re not able to remember your own password. You can use any word or combination of letters and numbers to secure your file and remember that all passwords are case-sensitive. When sharing your password-protected PowerPoint files via email, use encrypted emailing ( which Outlook offers ) for an added layer of security.

Taking a few moments to easily add this security layer can save you from unauthorized access and the potentially damaging impact of a data breach. Whether it’s a presentation in a corporate environment, an academic project, or some personal content, adding password protection ensures that your files will remain confidential and secure.

But don’t just stop there: PowerPoint’s advanced presentation features are effective for all subjects and audiences! If you’re looking to get the most out of conveying information, read these additional tips and tricks on how to ace your upcoming presentation , whether you’re looking to dazzle your audience , improving your public speaking skills , or you’re curious about the 30+year history of PowerPoint .

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How to Lock a PowerPoint Presentation (+Video)

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to lock a PowerPoint from editing. We’ll explore how to use password protect PowerPoint features to secure your slides. It only takes a few quick steps.

And when you complete these password protecting PowerPoint steps, you can rest easy. You'll know that your slides are guarded against unwanted edits. Once you know how to password protect a PowerPoint, you’ll see that it’s a common-sense step you’ll take every time you build your own slides.

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We also have a helpful compliment to this tutorial. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . Grab it now before you read on.

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How to Quickly Password Protect Your PowerPoint Files (Quickstart Video)

If you like to learn via screencasts, we've got you covered. You'll see how to password protect a PPT with the quick video below.

Note : Watch this short tutorial screencast or follow the quick steps below that complement this video.

How to Lock and Protect Your PowerPoint Presentation

Using PowerPoint password protection is a key step to keeping your files safe. With global sharing, it’s all too easy for the wrong person to start editing or changing your slides!

That’s where password protecting PowerPoint slides comes in. Knowing how to password protect a PPT helps you stay safe and in control of all your slides.

In this quick tutorial guide, you’ll learn how to password protect a PowerPoint. We’ll demonstrate using the Be PowerPoint Presentation Template from Envato Elements. Download it today to follow along.

1. Launch the Info Menu

Learning how to password protect a PPT begins on PowerPoint’s Info menu. Here, you will find the powerful Protect Presentation settings. Think of these as the control center for security in PPT.

To see how to lock a PowerPoint from editing, begin by finding the File menu. This is in the upper left corner of the PowerPoint ribbon. Click on File .

On the left, shaded in orange, you’ll see a sidebar menu. From the list of options here, click on Info . The Info menu will launch and appear onscreen.

2. Lock PowerPoint from Editing with a Strong Password

On the Info menu, look at the option tabs in the middle. At the top, you’ll see Protect Presentation. Click on Protect Presentation. This is how to password protect a PPT with ease.

From the list of options, choose Encrypt with Password. The Encrypt Document menu will pop up. Here, you can type in a strong password. Key it in, re-enter the password, then click OK.

3. Open Slides to See PowerPoint Password Protection

Now, when anyone opens your slides, they’ll see the password protect PowerPoint box appear. Before the slides open, they’ll be asked to input the password that you’ve chosen.

You can see this in action. Find your slides where you saved them and double-click to open them. When you do, you’ll immediately be prompted to enter a password.

You’ve just learned how to password protect a PowerPoint. As you can see, the password protect PowerPoint process is fast and easy.

4. Optional: Mark PowerPoint Slides as Final

There is a second, optional feature to lock a PowerPoint from editing. Think of it as an important version control feature. It helps encourage viewers to leave files unchanged. It’s called Mark as Final.

To mark slides as final, return to the File > Info tab. Once again, click on the Protect Presentation dropdown. But this time, click Mark as Final from the list of options. This marks your PPT slides as Read Only. Editors won’t be able to type or edit without saving a new copy. Thus, your original slide deck is protected.

It's possible that this feature is enough instead of password protecting PowerPoint files. You could simply signal this preference instead of applying the full lock PowerPoint from editing function.

Either way, these options will help you protect your PowerPoint file and make sure it's not edited any further. PowerPoint password protection is valuable, and it’s a key step in your slide design process. Start using it every day.

More Great Envato Tuts+ PowerPoint Tutorials

You've mastered the art of how to lock a PowerPoint from editing. These controls for password protecting PowerPoint files ensure that your file stays safe.

There's no reason to stop here. We have plenty more resources that add to your PowerPoint skillset. Learn more in our PowerPoint tutorials and quick video tutorials on Envato Tuts+. Here are a few pieces that are highly popular with our readers:

Make Great Presentations ( Free PDF eBook Download )

We also have the perfect complement to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully.

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The Top Source for the Very Best PowerPoint Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

Searching for the very best Microsoft PowerPoint templates? Envato Elements has you covered. For a flat monthly rate, you can explore thousands of stunning PPT slide deck designs . With unlimited downloads, you can easily try out as many as you want!

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Envato Elements is the ultimate creative value in 2024 and beyond. So, what are you waiting for? Join today a nd get started.

Start Password Protecting PowerPoint Slides Today

In this tutorial, you learned how to password protect a PowerPoint deck. As you can see, it only takes a few clicks to password protect PowerPoint files. But the benefits are unmatched. With this simple process, you can avoid any unwanted changes. You can keep your work safe and secure after you lock PowerPoint from editing.

Begin with a stunning PowerPoint slide deck from Envato Elements. Build out slides and keep them safe by using lock PowerPoint from editing features. What are you waiting for? Truly, you can’t afford to skip PowerPoint password protection. Put your new skills to good use right now!

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in September of 2017. It's been completely reviewed and revised for accuracy and relevancy by Andrew Childress .

How to Lock a PowerPoint from Editing?

Learn how to secure your PowerPoint presentations with step-by-step instructions on locking them from editing. Keep your content protected!

How to Lock a PowerPoint from Editing

Open powerpoint, open the presentation.

Select File > Info

Select Protect Presentation

Set Restricted Access

Make Changes if Needed

FAQs about Locking PowerPoint Presentations

Can i change permissions after i've locked the presentation, how do i give full control permission to a specific user, can i restrict access to specific sections of my presentation, can users with read access still view my notes and comments, is there a way to remove access restrictions later.

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How to Protect PowerPoint Presentations – Methods that Really Work

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Paulina Fox See full bio →

You have a PowerPoint presentation you need to share with others, such as an explanation of unique training materials. But how can you protect it from being copied or modified? Protecting the intellectual property in your PowerPoint slides is actually not that hard.

Method #1. Protect Your Presentation with a Watermark or a Password

If you need to safeguard your PPT presentation and distribute it using a physical device or place it on the web providing a possibility for users to download it, a good way to prevent your project from being stolen is to protect it using iSpring Suite . It’s an eLearning authoring toolkit for PowerPoint that offers a bunch of presentation protection settings.

Download iSpring Suite for free and install it on your computer. Open the presentation you want to keep safe, switch to the iSpring Suite 9 tab, and click Publish .

In the Publish Presentation window, select the My Computer tab and head over to the Protection section .

In the opened window, you can configure the security settings you need.

1. Copyright your PowerPoint slides by adding a watermark

With iSpring Suite, you can watermark your presentation with, for example, your corporate logo or copyright notice like © 2020 John Smith . It’s possible to set the watermark’s transparency and position on the slides. You can also specify a webpage that will open when your viewers click on the watermark. It could be anything from terms of use to your profile page on a social network site.

2. Set a password

This option is pretty straightforward. You create a password and no one can view your presentation without entering it first.

3. Restrict time

You can set a special time period when your audience will be able to view your presentation. For example, you can set up a 2-week interval when your slides will be available.

When you’re finished with the settings, save any changes and publish the slides. By default, the output presentation is saved on your PC. You can then transfer it to a pen drive or CD and distribute it to your learners or colleagues.

Method #2. Make Your Presentation Read-Only

This method won’t prevent your copyrighted PPT slides from being copied and shared, but it will protect them from being modified. The upside is that to lock a presentation from editing you don’t need any third-party services – you can do this right in PowerPoint by using the Mark as Final option. When a presentation is marked as final, other users can read and view it, but can’t make any alterations.

To lock the slides, click the File tab in PowerPoint and choose the Protect Presentation command in the Info pane. In the drop-down menu, select Mark as Final . That will set your presentation in read-only mode.

Method #3. Restrict Permission to Selected Individuals

You can set the restriction to your readers so they can read the presentation but won’t be able to change, print, or copy the content.

As with the previous method, you can do this right in PowerPoint. Simply go to File → Info → Protect Presentation → Restrict Access .

However, to grant people access, you need to connect to the Rights Management Service (RMS). It is integrated into Microsoft Office and is available for faculty and staff. Ask your IT department to help you to enable RMS for your account.

Note: RMS allows employees to share restricted documents only within their company or campus. It won’t be possible to share your presentation with individuals that are not your colleagues or faculty members.

We hope this article gave you insights on ways that you can protect your PowerPoint presentations. If you know of any alternative ways to safeguard the slides, please share your ideas in the comment section.

Useful Resources on PowerPoint

Are you a PowerPoint lover? If so, here are some other helpful articles for you:

How to Share a PowerPoint Presentation Online
How to Add Narration to a PowerPoint Presentation
How to Add YouTube Video Into PPT Presentation
How to Structure a PowerPoint Presentation

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6 Free Ways to Lock PowerPoint from Editing

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most useful presentation software with features designed to help users create highly effective presentations. PowerPoint is used in various fields and can hold information that is both important and sensitive. As such, locking a PowerPoint presentation can become a necessity. You may need to protect the whole presentation from editing to prevent accidental changes that may interfere with the presentation or you may just want to lock individual slide with crucial information from being edited.

Understanding how to lock PowerPoint from editing can therefore be one of the most important skills to have as you will be able to protect the document from exploitation from unauthorized users. In this article, we are going to share with you various ways to lock a PowerPoint presentation.

Part 1: Lock PowerPoint from Editing-Whole File

● 1. Mark as Final

● 2. Add Digital Signature

● 3. Save as PDF or PPSX

● 4. Set Password to Modify

● 5. Lock PowerPoint from Editing on Mac

Part 2: Lock PowerPoint from Editing-Individual Slide

Part 3: useful tips to unlock powerpoint for editing without password.

If you have to share your PowerPoint presentation to other people, it is important that you lock the PowerPoint so that they can view the presentation but unable to edit it. Read below to know the detailed information.

1. Mark as Final

This method allows you to restrict editing on the PowerPoint document, but it will not prevent someone from opening the document. Here's how to do it;

Step 1: Open the PowerPoint Presentation you would like to lock or create a new presentation.

Step 2: Once you have completed working on the presentation, click on "Info", then select "Protect Presentation" and click on "Mark as Final".

Step 3: You should see a notification that the presentation has been marked as final. Click "OK" to close the notification. Save the changes and when you open the document again, you'll see a message at the top saying it is "Marked as Final".

This is not the most secure way to lock PowerPoint from editing since someone can just click on "Edit Anyway" to make it editable again.

2. Add Digital Signature

A digital signature is more commonly known as a digital ID. It can help validate your identity, and it can also be used to sign important documents including PowerPoint presentations. Below are the steps to add a digital signature to lock your PowerPoint document from editing.

Step 1: Select"File" option. From the file menu, click "Info".

Step 2: Select Protect Presentation option. From Protect Presentation menu, click "Add a Digital Signature".

Step 3: In the Sign dialog, please enter the purpose in the "Purpose for signing this document"box.

Step 4: Click "Sign". Now your PowerPoint Presentation is locked with a signature.

3. Save as PDF or PPSX

Since it is very hard to edit PDF or PPSX files, so you can lock a presentation by save it as a PDF or PPSX file. Here's how to do it;

Step 1: Open the presentation and then click on "File > Save As".

Step 2: Select the location to save the file and in the "Save as Type" dropdown menu, choose either PDF or PPSX.

This is a great way to share the PowerPoint without having to worry that the document will be edited.

4. Set Password to Modify

If you want a more secure way to lock PowerPoint from editing, the best way to do it is to set a modify password. After setting, anyone without the password will be unable to edit the presentation. Follow these simple steps to do it;

Step 1: Open the PowerPoint presentation you would like to protect and then click on "File > Save As".

Step 2: Select a location to save the file and then click on "Tools > General Options" in the Save As dialogue box.

Step 3: Enter a password in the "Password to modify" box and then click "OK".

Step 4: Go back to the "Save As" dialogue box and then click "Save" to finish. The next time you open the presentation, you will be required to enter a password to modify or open read-only file.

5. Lock PowerPoint from Editing on Mac

You can lock a PowerPoint presentation by using Finder on Mac so that others can only read it, but not edit or change it.

Step 1: Open the Finder and choose the PowerPoint presentation you want to lock.

Step 2: Right-click the presentation and then click "Get Info".

Step 3: Under "General", select the "Locked" check box.

Before you share the PowerPoint presentation, please remember that people who have write privileges can clear the locked status.

When it comes to lock PowerPoint presentation, what comes to our minds may be lock the whole PowerPoint presentation. However, we found that there are some questions like "how to lock slides in PowerPoint" or "how to lock individual slide". So, is it possible to lock only one individual slide from editing in PowerPoint?

The answer is positive. You can save the individual slide as a graphic image to lock it from being edited.

Step 1: Click "Save & Send" option from the "File" option.

Step 2: Select "Change File Type" option from the menu.

Step 3: Choose the image type you like and then click "Save as" tab. In this step, you can choose to save every slide as image or only save the current slide as a image.

So what if you receive a PowerPoint presentation that needs to be edited while it is protected in one of the ways mentioned above? Or what if you have a protected PowerPoint file whose password you have forgotten? In both these cases, your safest bet would be to use a password recovery tool that can help you recover the password or remove restrictions from the document. One of the best tools for the job is Passper for PowerPoint . Designed specifically to help you remove the password on a protected PowerPoint presentation, Passper for PowerPoint has one of the highest password recovery rates and also helps you easily remove restrictions on the program. The following are some of the features that make Passper for PowerPoint so effective:

Unlock PowerPoint Editing Passwords: Passper for PowerPoint allows you to remove editing restrictions on any presentation without affecting the data on it.

Remove All Restrictions: You can use it to remove all forms of restrictions on the file including removing read-only restrictions to allow you to edit, copy, print.

Easy and Fast to Use: The whole process of recovering the password is very easy and straightforward. You can even remove any restrictions within seconds in one single-click.

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If you are prevented from editing the PowerPoint document, Passper for PowerPoint can make it easy for you to remove these restrictions and edit the document. Here's how to do it;

Step 1: Open Passper for PowerPoint on your computer and then choose "Remove Restrictions".

Step 2: Import the encrypted file into the program and then click on "Remove". Passper will immediately begin removing all restrictions on the document.

Once the process is complete, you should see a notification that the restrictions have been removed. When you open the PowerPoint presentation, you should be able to access it and edit it easily.

Passper for PowerPoint not only can help you remove all restrictions, but also can help you recover the password to open the presentation. Next time, if you forgot the password to open or received a presentation with protection, Passper for PowerPoint can help you out the delimma.

Locking a PowerPoint presentation can be a great way to prevent sensitive information from becoming public and also from preventing accidental editing. As we have seen in the course of this article, the process is very easy and can be done at different levels depending on how you want the PowerPoint presentation to be protected. Yet, it can be very easy to lose or forget the password. In this case, you would be unable to access the data on the document.

Fortunately, there is a tool like Passper for PowerPoint that can be used to recover the password without affecting the data on the presentation. Passper for PowerPoint is invaluable in the event that you have lost the opening or modifying password on your PowerPoint presentation and you need to make changes to it.

How to Remove Password from PowerPoint (100% Working)
Top 9 PowerPoint Password Recovery Software That Unlock Your PowerPoint

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Posted on Mar 17, 2023 ( Updated: Mar 17, 2023)

Ronnie Barnes, a blogger with more than 5-year experience in writing tips about password recovery for Windows and office files.

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How to Lock a PowerPoint from Editing: Secure Your Presentation

Ever been in a situation where you spent hours perfecting your presentation, only to find out someone else made unintended changes? We’ve all been there, and it can be frustrating. To ensure your PowerPoint stays exactly as you designed it, learning how to lock it from editing is a game-changer.

A hand reaches for a computer mouse and clicks on the

Microsoft PowerPoint offers multiple methods to protect your presentation. We can set passwords, mark the presentation as final, or even save it in a read-only format. These tweaks not only secure our content but also give us peace of mind knowing that our hard work remains intact.

Let’s dive into these practical steps. You’ll discover easy-to-follow instructions to prevent accidental or unauthorized changes. Whether you’re presenting to colleagues, clients, or any audience, these tips will help you maintain control over every slide. So, let’s ensure your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are always polished and protected.

1.1 Setting Up a Password to Protect a Presentation
1.2 Applying Editing Restrictions in PowerPoint
2.1 Making a Presentation Read-Only
2.2 Restricting Permission by User Roles
2.3 Marking Presentations as Final
3.1 Using Digital Signatures for Authenticity
3.2 Setting Expiration Dates for Presentation Access
4.1 Censoring Information with Proofing Tools

Securing Presentations with Passwords

Protecting PowerPoint presentations by setting up a password enhances security by preventing unauthorized access and editing. This is essential to maintain the integrity and privacy of your work.

Setting Up a Password to Protect a Presentation

First, we need to open our PowerPoint presentation and select the File tab. From there, navigate to Info . Next, select Protect Presentation and choose the Encrypt with Password option.

A pop-up will prompt us to enter a password. Make it strong—use a combination of uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Click OK and re-enter the password when prompted. Remember to save the document to apply the new settings.

Tip: Store your password in a safe place. If you forget it, you’ll lose access to your presentation.

Applying Editing Restrictions in PowerPoint

Aside from password protection, PowerPoint allows us to restrict editing permissions. Start by selecting the File tab, then Info . Opt for Protect Presentation and select Restrict Access .

In the Permission dialog, tick the Restrict permission to this presentation checkbox. We can then specify who can edit or only view the document. Advanced settings allow setting a presentation expiration date to control access duration.

Furthermore, under Additional permissions for users , we can allow specific actions like printing or copying content.

By using these tools, we ensure our presentation remains unaltered unless we permit changes, offering robust protection for our work.

Managing Access for Different Users

When it comes to managing who can edit or view your PowerPoint presentation, there are several options available. You can make the presentation read-only, limit access based on user roles, or mark the presentation as final to prevent any changes.

Making a Presentation Read-Only

One effective way to lock a PowerPoint presentation from editing is to make it read-only. By setting the presentation to always open as read-only, unauthorized users are prevented from making changes.

To do this:

Open the PowerPoint file.
Go to the File tab and select Info .
Choose the Protect Presentation option.
From the dropdown menu, select Always Open Read-Only .

Now, every time someone opens the .pptx file, it will be non-editable by default. This method is simple and useful for safeguarding your work without the need for complex permissions.

Restricting Permission by User Roles

Sometimes, we need to give different levels of access to various users. By restricting permissions based on roles, such as administrators and viewers, we can ensure tighter security and control.

Steps to restrict permission:

Navigate to the Review tab.
Click on Restrict Editing .
In the Restrict Editing pane, select the Allow only this type of editing in the document option.
Set the necessary permissions for users, allowing specific roles such as editing, commenting, or viewing.

This helps in controlling who can modify the content versus those who can only view it, keeping the workflow streamlined and secure.

Marking Presentations as Final

To prevent any further edits after finalizing a presentation, we can mark it as final. This feature locks the presentation and signals that the file should not be edited.

To mark a presentation as final:

Open the presentation.
Click on Protect Presentation .
Choose Mark as Final from the dropdown.

By marking the presentation as final, we make it clear that no changes should be made. This feature is perfect for finalized projects that must stay intact.

These methods ensure that we maintain control over our PowerPoint presentations, protecting the integrity and confidentiality of our work.

Advanced Security Measures

To enhance the protection of your PowerPoint presentations, integrating digital signatures and setting expiration dates are crucial. These advanced security measures provide both authenticity and controlled access.

Using Digital Signatures for Authenticity

Adding a digital signature is a smart way to verify the ownership and integrity of your presentation. A digital signature, backed by a digital ID, ensures that the content hasn’t been tampered with. To add a digital signature in Microsoft Office, go to the File tab and choose Info . Click Protect Presentation and then Add a Digital Signature .

Using Microsoft 365 , you can also use built-in tools to streamline the process. It’s essential to have a digital ID from a trusted certificate authority to validate the signature properly. This adds a layer of trust for recipients, confirming the content’s authenticity.

Setting Expiration Dates for Presentation Access

Restricting access to your PowerPoint by setting expiration dates is another effective measure. This option is handy for time-sensitive information. In Microsoft Office, navigate to File and select Info . Under Protect Presentation , point to Restrict Access and choose Restricted Access .

Here, enable the This presentation expires on checkbox and enter an expiration date. This ensures that viewers can only access the presentation up to a specified date, enhancing security and control over sensitive content. This feature is particularly useful for managing collaborative work within our teams, ensuring timely and secure content sharing.

Stay ahead of unauthorized access and ensure your presentations remain secure and authentic with these advanced measures.

Handling Sensitive Content in Presentations

When dealing with sensitive content in PowerPoint presentations, it’s crucial to manage information carefully to maintain privacy and confidentiality. Proper techniques include censoring sensitive information and using proofing tools to protect content.

Censoring Information with Proofing Tools

We can use proofing tools to hide or obscure sensitive data in presentations. Tools like Microsoft PowerPoint offer options for censoring or redacting content.

By employing text boxes or shapes , we can cover sensitive information in a slide. Sometimes, the simplest approaches work best: adding a black box over a name or figure ensures that the information is no longer visible.

PowerPoint also allows us to edit the document properties. Go to the File tab and select Info . Here, we can edit or remove personal information and comments to ensure no hidden metadata is left in the file.

Images can be tricky; converting sensitive images to a less editable format, like JPEG or PNG, might help. For example, screenshots of sensitive data converted to images can make unauthorized editing more difficult.


Text Box/Shape	Censoring Information	Add black box over sensitive text
File Info	Remove metadata	Edit or delete properties
JPEG/PNG	Convert Images	Save screenshots as non-editable files

Using these tools effectively ensures that our presentations stay secure and private.

How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation: Step-by-Step Guide for Professionals
How to Crop a Picture into a Circle in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Print PowerPoint with Notes: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Convert PowerPoint to PDF: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Change Slide Size in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Save a PowerPoint as a Video for Smooth Presentations
How to Change Font on All Slides in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Save a PowerPoint as a Video: Step-by-Step Guide
Where is Word Art in PowerPoint: Quick Guide for Users
How to Hide a Slide in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide
How to Rotate Ruler in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide
How to Blur an Image in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to protect / lock a PowerPoint presentation?

September 28, 2020

Unless you protect your PowerPoint document, anyone with access to the .pptx file can open, copy and edit the contents. Here's a guide to how you can protect/ lock your PowerPoint presentations.

This post is part of our hints and tips for standard PowerPoint features. PPT Productivity is a time saving add-in for PowerPoint. If you’d like to boost your productivity in PowerPoint and save time aligning, formatting and reusing slides, visit our homepage and download the PPT Productivity free trial today!

To protect your document, go to the file tab in PowerPoint, select Info, then click ‘Protect Presentation’

In the drop-down menu, you will find 4 or 5 options for protecting presentations in PowerPoint (options available depend on which version of PowerPoint you are running): ‘Always Open Read-Only’, ‘Encrypt with Password’, ‘Restrict Access’, ‘Add a Digital Signature’, ‘Mark as Final’.

Note - This article is about general locking of a PowerPoint presentation. However if you want to lock specific shapes on your PowerPoint slide from being edited – visit PPT Productivity's website to learn more about the PPT Productivity shape locking tool for PowerPoint .

Screenshot PowerPoint Protect Presentation button

Choose which option best suits your needs:

Always Open Read-Only PowerPoint setting prevents accidental changes by displaying a yellow banner at the top of the PowerPoint presentation indicating that the presentation is read only. The reader will need to opt-in to editing the document by clicking the ‘Edit Anyway’ button

Screenshot of PowerPoint Read-only View alert

Encrypt with Password PowerPoint setting lets you password protect your PowerPoint presentation. A password will be required to open the document. It’s very important to note that if you forget the password, you will not be able to open the presentation.

If your organization uses Microsoft 365, you also have a Restrict Access option in PowerPoint. The Restrict Access option allows people to view the PowerPoint presentation, but prevents them from editing, copying, or printing. To use the Restrict Access option, you need to have Information Rights Access set up on your machine. Find more information about Information Rights Access .

A digital signature adds unique code to a message which only comes from the digital ID held by the true sender. If you choose Add a Digital Signature in PowerPoint, you will need to have a Digital Signature set up. For more information about Digital Signatures visit the Microsoft Support Page .

Mark as Final PowerPoint setting sets the PowerPoint presentation status to Final. Typing, editing commands and proofing marks are turned off. A yellow banner noting that the document has been marked as final will appear at the top of the presentation. Readers will still be able to Edit the document if they click on the ‘Edit Anyway’ button.

Screenshot of PowerPoint Marked as Final alert

Once you have decided which option is best for your needs, select the relevant option and save your document. Done!

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Protect PowerPoint Presentation

How to protect a powerpoint being copied, restrict access & lock editing.

Stop unauthorized access
Stop sharing and distribution
Strong US Gov strength encryption, DRM and licensing controls

Stop editing, copying and screen grabs
Stop printing or control the number of prints
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revoke a document for all users instantly
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You only have to protect a document once in order to customize it for multiple users.

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Ensure only authorized parties can view confidential documents
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Protect powerpoint slides: restrict access, prevent editing & copying, add expiration.

How can I protect PowerPoint presentations?

So, you have invested hundreds of hours into creating your PowerPoint presentations, and now you realize you need to protect them. Though they are often overlooked, PowerPoint presentations carry plenty of information that could harm a business. Anything from revenue figures to acquisition prospects or client details may be presented at one point or another.

After the meeting concludes, the ppt or pptx file is often shared unprotected with the participants to recap, leading to their inevitable leak. Training companies that sell PowerPoint presentations as part of course materials also need to prevent them from being copied and shared with users that have not purchased them, or from being edited and sold on.

Below are the security options available to protect presentation slides (.pptx files) so you can prevent them from being shared, copied and edited.

Are PowerPoints subject to copyright protection?

You have probably wondered ‘Does copyright protect powerpoint diagrams?’. Just as with any media, you have an inherent right to control the distribution of content inside your PowerPoint presentation (provided it was created by you). This extends to images, text, video, etc. However, legally holding the rights to a work does very little to prevent it from being copied and distributed without your permission. You can add a copyright symbol and disclaimer to your PowerPoint slides, but it’s likely it’ll just be ignored and can be easily removed. If copyright notices were an effective way of preventing unauthorized distribution, piracy would be virtually non-existent.

In other words, it’s down to you to enforce your copyright by using the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and lawyers. You could take somebody to court every time they infringe your copyright, but that would be costly, time-consuming, and wouldn’t erase the harm they’d already done. It’s better to take measures to stop them from being able to do so in the first place.

Password protect PowerPoint

Applying passwords to protect PowerPoint files (PPT, PPTX, PPS, PPPX) is the cheapest solution for PowerPoint Security (it is free with PowerPoint) but also the least secure.

There are two types of passwords that can be used to password protect PowerPoint files:

the open password which is used to restrict access
the modify password which is used to restrict editing

Both have major weaknesses:

The open password can be cracked (if unknown), or shared or removed (if known).
The modify password is very easy to remove as it does not utilize encryption. It’s primarily intended to stop accidental editing rather than unauthorized editing. Once a user can edit a PowerPoint they have full control over it and can remove watermarks and copyright notices.

Here’s how easy it is to remove password protection in PowerPoint:

How to open a password-protected PowerPoint file

How to edit a protected PowerPoint presentation

It is really easy to remove edit restrictions in PowerPoint. Users can:

copy and paste content to another presentation
save or print to PDF and then convert back to PPTX format
screenshot to bypass the restrictions

https://passper.imyfone.com/powerpoint-password-recovery/
https://www.elcomsoft.com/aopr.html
https://www.isumsoft.com/powerpoint-protection-refixer/

How to password protect a PowerPoint presentation & restrict opening

If you want to add an open/viewing password to your document despite the flaws mentioned above, this is how you do it:

How to password protect a PowerPoint presentation & restrict editing

If you’d like to lock a PowerPoint from editing with a password despite its drawbacks (perhaps you just want to stop accidental editing) here’s how:

You will see that even Microsoft warns you that an editing password is not a secure feature and will not stop malicious users from editing or copying the document. Though it does restrict editing in PowerPoint, it only does so on a surface level. Users can easily remove the editing protecting using the techniques outlined above.

Lock a PowerPoint from editing by converting it to images

Before we move on to other protection solutions, it’s worth quickly clarifying claims that saving your PowerPoint presentation as images will permanently prevent editing.

You can’t easily edit or copy text from an image, right? Well, that’s not quite true. Optical character recognition tools can take the images and turn them right back into an editable PowerPoint file again.

PowerPoint read only mode & preventing editing

PowerPoint’s read-only mode lets you restrict editing without the use of a password. It does so by displaying a warning message when users try to edit text or images.

If you want to save or make a PowerPoint read only or lock PowerPoint from editing, then you need to save it as a PDF and protect it with Locklizard Safeguard.

Recipients need to have purchased the full version of PowerPoint to view your protected presentations (the free PowerPoint Viewer does not support IRM). This is not ideal if you work with freelancers or external parties.
You have to specify who the recipients are when you protect the PowerPoint presentation file. This makes it very inconvenient if you want other users to access this at a later date (you will have to protect it all over again). Clearly, this is a system designed purely for internal use and requires you to know from the start ALL the users that will ever want to access this presentation.
Access controls are unhelpful. You either give users read access (no permission to modify, copy print), change access (modify, copy, but no print), or full control (same rights as the author – can modify, print, set expiry). So, if you want users to be able to print your PowerPoint Presentations you have to let them copy, edit, modify, and change expiry too. Far from ideal from a security standpoint.
The system does not prevent third-party screen grabbers from taking screenshots of your PowerPoint slides.
Links to external sources (MP3/MP4 files, etc.) are not protected, so your video and audio is available for everyone to copy and share.

In conclusion, using Microsoft IRM for PowerPoint Security is only helpful in limited situations, and it does not completely protect PowerPoint presentations. Even Azure information protection restrictions can be bypassed if a user has been given view access.

Once your PowerPoint presentation has been converted to a PDF file, you can secure it using Safeguard PDF Security.

Safeguard PDF Security protects PowerPoint presentations from unauthorized:

screen grabbing

Safeguard PDF Security automatically locks PowerPoint slides to authorized devices so they cannot be shared. You restrict who can access your protected PowerPoint slides, the amount of time they can be viewed, and whether they can be printed. And if you decide that you no longer want users to be able to view them, then you can instantly revoke access.

You choose:

when your presentations expire (if at all) – number of views, days, prints, or fixed date
whether they can be printed – deny or allow printing or limit the number of prints
if they should be revoked – revoke presentations anytime regardless of where they are located
whether content should be watermarked at view/print time dynamically with personal user identifying information

And with Safeguard Enterprise PDF DRM you can:

control the locations users can view your PowerPoint presentations (country & IP location) to ensure confidential material can only be viewed from, say, the office
track and log when slides are viewed and printed

Though it is tempting to use something like Adobe Acrobat or Foxit PDF password protection , these have the exact same problem as PowerPoint password protection – the modify permissions are easily removed and the document open protection does not prevent unauthorized sharing.

How to save a PowerPoint presentation as a secure PDF

The process of locking a PowerPoint presentation file to prevent it from being copied/edited is a two-step one: save to PDF, followed by protection in Safeguard Secure PDF Writer.

How to convert a Powerpoint to PDF

Note that converting a PowerPoint to a PDF will naturally remove its functionality as an interactive presentation.

How to lock a PowerPoint from editing and copying with Locklizard Safeguard

Once you have converted your PowerPoint to PDF, protecting it with Safeguard is a simple matter:

Creating a protected presentation

Encrypting a PowerPoint without passwords using Safeguard PDF DRM

Safeguard Admin System

Distribute your protected PDF however you like, or see how to share a PDF document as a link for instructions on sharing via cloud storage.

For a more detailed guide see how to add security to a PDF or check our blog on how to lock a Word doc , which has many parallels to PowerPoint security.

The strength of your watermarks depends on the strength of your copy protection and editing restrictions. If your editing restrictions are easily removed then so is your watermark – the user can just delete the watermark in PowerPoint. As we’ve already covered, PowerPoint’s editing restrictions are useless, so PowerPoint watermarks are too.

You can see how to add or insert a watermark in PowerPoint here which also explains just how easy it is for users to remove them.

How can you set expiration in PowerPoint?

It is not possible to set a PowerPoint to expire without the help of third-party applications or IRM services. Though there is an add-in called PPTExpire, it has been in development for years and is yet to release to the public. Plugins of this sort also typically pose a security risk and do not work as advertised.

One option is to upload your PowerPoint to OneDrive and share a link with an expiration date. However, this will give you far less protection than you anticipate. Browsers are unable to effectively enforce anti-copying controls because they just do not have enough control over the operating system.

How to set a PowerPoint to expire with Safeguard Security

In Safeguard Secure PDF Writer, choose the expiry options you want to apply:

Expiration Date – expires on the date that you select here.
After n days from first use – expires a number of days after it is first opened.
Views – expires after it has been viewed n times.
Prints – expires after it has been printed n times.

Expiry days, views, and prints are allocated on a user basis – so the same file can expire at different times for individual users.

Once you have chosen your PowerPoint expiration date options, press the Publish button.

Locklizard uses US government-strength AES encryption, public key technology, Digital Rights Management, and licensing controls to ensure your presentations remain protected regardless of their location. If you want to make or save a PowerPoint as read only then only DRM protection can achieve this.

See our customer testimonials or read our case studies to see why thousands of organizations use Locklizard PDF security to protect, share and sell their documents securely.

Protecting Microsoft Office files

Looking to protect other MS-Office files to restrict access, copying, editing, printing and sharing?

Can PowerPoints be encrypted?

Most document formats can be encrypted, including PowerPoints. If you password protect PowerPoint files it will encrypt them using AES encryption.

However, it’s important to be aware of the strength of the encryption and encryption mechanism . Password-based encryption is inherently less secure, because it takes (for example) a random, 256-bit encryption key and links it to a short, human-chosen, and often insecure string of characters. Microsoft state that “You cannot enable a strong encryption file by using password protection.”

How do I password protect PowerPoint files?

Select File > Info.
Select Protect Presentation > Encrypt with Password.
In the Password field, enter the password and press OK.
Re-enter the password to confirm it.
Save the PPT / PPTX file so that the password takes effect.

Is there a way to encrypt PowerPoint slides?

Though you can’t encrypt individual slides within a larger PowerPoint presentation or Show, you can export those slides as a PDF and use a PDF DRM solution to encrypt them. This has the additional advantage of not relying on password security.

Does Locklizard use asymmetric or symmetric encryption to protect Powerpoint slides?

We use both. RSA asymmetric encryption for key exchange and AES 256 bit symmetric encryption for file encryption.

What is PowerPoint protected view or protected mode?

Protected view or protected mode is a read-only mode that is automatically applied to MS Office file types when the file has potentially come from an unsafe location. It is used to protect users from viruses and other malicious code from being executed rather than a copy protection feature to restrict editing or make a PowerPoint read only. It is not the same as creating a read-only file that cannot be edited.

Why can’t you bypass a password-locked PowerPoint document without brute force?

PowerPoint uses 256-bit AES to encrypt the entire pptx document or ppt files. This form of encryption would take current computers millions of years to break, and Microsoft’s implementation does not have any known shortcuts or vulnerabilities.

However, to say that you can’t bypass the document without brute force is not true. As a password is used to unlock the document, any of the traditional password attack methods can be utilized. This includes obtaining it from a party who already knows it through social engineering, phishing, etc.

How do I protect a PowerPoint from being changed or make it read only?

Convert it to a PDF, then encrypt it and apply editing controls with a PDF DRM solution to make it read only. The same applies if you want to copyright protect a pptx file to read only or make a ppt uneditable permanently.

PowerPoint’s editing protection is easily bypassed, protected view mode can be turned off, and converting to images doesn’t work either as they can be run through an OCR recognition tool.

How do I protect a PowerPoint presentation from being copied?

Unauthorized copying is all but impossible to prevent. Instead, you need to:

Make any copied file useless (inaccessible without a requisite license file)
Lock the presentation to a device so it cannot be shared
Restrict editing, copy and paste, screenshots and printing
Add watermarks that identify users should they share a printed or photographed copy

Locklizard Safeguard DRM can achieve all of these goals, stopping users from making a copy of your presentation and protecting your important files and intellectual property.

How do I remove encryption from a PowerPoint presentation?

It depends on the method of encryption. If you applied PowerPoint password encryption (used to password protect PowerPoint files), you’ll need to either obtain and enter the password or brute force it. Documents encrypted with Locklizard Safeguard do not use passwords, and therefore encryption cannot be removed. The only way to obtain an unencrypted version of the document is to ask the creator for it.

Does adding a digital signature make a PowerPoint file more secure?

A digital signature is an invisible signature used for authentication purposes. It differs from an electronic signature (a visible image of your written signature) but can be used in conjunction with it. A digital signature is an encrypted stamp of authentication and is created by using a signing certificate, which if issued by a reputable Certificate Authority, proves identity.

Adding a digital signature to a PowerPoint presentation confirms that the information originated from the signer and has not been altered. Recipients need your certificate and public key to verify the signature. So, if users remove editing restrictions from a PowerPoint presentation and alter it after it has been digitally signed then you will be alerted to this.

How do you share a PowerPoint securely?

First of all, by avoiding OneDrive and other cloud sharing services. Browser security is too easily to manipulate and bypass, not to mention the freely available download button Microsoft provides. So if it is your responsibility to protect PowerPoint presentations from being shared then you need to look at more secure alternatives.

The most secure way to share PowerPoint files is to save them as a PDF, protect them with Safeguard DRM, and then send the encrypted .pdc file to the recipient or distribute it by other means. This is also the most secure way to share PowerPoint files online. While one might be tempted to use Azure information protection (RMS) or Adobe Document Cloud security , they both have multiple security issues, are complex to setup / maintain, and costly.

If I use a password to protect PowerPoint files will it restrict access?

You can use a password to restrict access to PowerPoint files. However, bear in mind that if you want to share a PowerPoint securely, then anyone you give the password to can share it with others or just remove it. If you therefore use a password to protect PowerPoint files, you have no control over who can access your PowerPoint presentations or slides.

Does Locklizard provide Digital Rights Management for PPT and PPTX files?

PPT and PPTX files have to be saved to PDF format before they can be protected with Locklizard DRM.

How to save a PowerPoint as a secure PDF?

Within PowerPoint, save the PowerPoint deck or presentation to a PDF (File menu > Save As > Save as type: PDF).
While you can password protect a PDF the restrictions or permissions are so easy for users to remove they are not worth adding to begin with.
If you want to secure the PDF and prevent sharing, stop copying, restrict editing, block printing, set expiration and enforce watermarks, then use Locklizard Safeguard to protect it.

Customer Testimonials

We needed to deliver e-book versions of our handbooks while not compromising on security and digital rights. Safeguard PDF security is easy to use and intuitive. The implementation was painless and we now have a greener, more secure way of distributing training manuals.

Locklizard’s PDF protection is exactly as described – the features are highly effective and I would give it 5 stars. I would recommend Locklizard to others - their security is simple to use and fit for purpose. It meets common needs of businesses who have information they want to protect.

We would be happy to recommend Locklizard to any company needing a flexible way to secure PDF files. Safeguard PDF Security has provided us with a very workable solution for sharing of information in a secure fashion. The support has been excellent and very accommodating.

We can cut accounts for a user five minutes before his class starts and he is ready to go. Happy smiling customer, while we still have security and personalized watermarking. I have immense respect for the product and Locklizard provide great customer satisfaction and service.

We would recommend Safeguard to other companies for its security, cost and ease of use. It does what we expected it to do and more. Ease of use is a bonus and the implementation was very easy. The product manual is excellent and Locklizard staff are very accommodating.

We sell a highly valued educational product in an open and competitive market so it was important to ensure we had effective security to protect our digital rights. We highly recommend Locklizard - a professional company with a competitive and professional PDF Security product.

We would absolutely recommend both Locklizard as a company, and Safeguard PDF Security. It has transformed our study materials to the next level. Not only did this increase sales, but we also believe that it has increased our customers’ ability to learn, which is even more important!

We would recommend Locklizard Safeguard to other companies that need to protect PDF reports. Customers have found the process of accessing the protected documents to be seamless. Implementation was easy and technical support has been very responsive to requests for help.

Our company would without reservation recommend Locklizard. Their document DRM software opens up delivery of our new products in a timely fashion while knowing that the content will remain secure. The return on investment to our company has been immediately evident.

We use Safeguard to make sure that documents cannot be opened outside our local network or from a unauthorized computer in order to copy or print the documents. It is the most feature rich, affordable, & simple to use PDF security product on the market.

Safeguard PDF Security is simple to administer and meets our needs, consistently delivering secured manuals to our customers with ease. Return on investment has been elimination of many man hours, printing resources and postage – it is estimated that costs decreased by 50% or more.

We would really recommend Safeguard PDF Security to every publishing company for managing ePubs or e-books securely. It is easy to secure PDF files and simple to distribute them to our authorized customers only. Locklizard also provides a good customer support experience.

The ROI for us is incalculable. We have the security of knowing that our proprietary documents are secure. This is the entire value of our company. I would most certainly recommend your PDF security product and already have. The ease of implementation was surprising.

We can now sell our manuals without the need to print them first, saving time, money and helping safeguard the environment. We would recommend Safeguard PDF DRM – it is the perfect solution to sell and send e-documents securely whilst making sure someone cannot copy them.

We would recommend Locklizard to other companies without hesitation. Their PDF DRM products provide a manageable, cost effective way to protect intellectual investment and they are always looking for ways to improve them. Moreover, their staff provide an excellent level of support.

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Easy Ways to Lock PowerPoint

Safeguarding your content's integrity and ensuring control over editing access are vital concerns. Many find themselves seeking effective solutions to protect their PowerPoint presentations. This article presents simple and practical methods to lock your PowerPoint from editing securely.

Part 1: How to Lock a PowerPoint From Editing

1. restrict access.

Step 1: Navigate to the File tab and select Info.

Step 2: Choose Protect Presentation, then click on Restrict Access from the dropdown menu.

Restricting access is an effective way to secure your presentation, preventing unauthorized editing. This is a great choice when you want to control who can make changes to your PowerPoint file.

2. Add Digital Signature

Step 1 : Select the File option and access the file menu by clicking on Info.

Step 2: Opt for Protect Presentation and choose Add a Digital Signature from the Protect Presentation menu.

Step 3: In the Sign dialog, specify the purpose in the "Purpose for signing this document" box.

Step 4: Click Sign to apply a digital signature, effectively locking your PowerPoint Presentation.

Adding a digital signature not only secures your presentation but also ensures the authenticity of the content. It's a valuable method for maintaining the integrity of your file.

3. Save as PDF or PPSX

Step 1: Open the presentation and navigate to File > Save As.

Step 2: Choose a location for saving the file and select either PDF or PPSX from the "Save as Type" dropdown menu.

Saving your presentation as PDF or PPSX is a smart choice when you want to distribute your content securely. It prevents edits while retaining the document's visual integrity.

4. Mark as Final

Step 1: Open the PowerPoint Presentation you wish to secure or create a new one.

Step 2: After finishing your work on the presentation, click on Info, select Protect Presentation, and choose Mark as Final

Step 3: A notification will confirm that the presentation is marked as final. Click OK to close the notification. Save your changes, and upon reopening the document, you'll see a message at the top indicating it's "Marked as Final."

Marking a presentation as final is a clear signal that editing is restricted. It's useful for sharing a read-only version of your work.

5. Set a Password

Step 1 : Open the PowerPoint presentation you want to protect and navigate to File > Save As.

Step 2: Choose a location for saving the file and click on Tools > General Options within the Save As dialog box.

Step 3: In the "Password to modify" box, enter a password, and then click OK.

Step 4: Return to the Save As dialog box and click Save to complete the process. The next time you open the presentation, you'll be prompted to enter a password for modification or access in read-only mode.

Setting a password provides a strong layer of security, ensuring that only those with the password can make changes. It's a dependable method for keeping your content safe from unwanted edits.

Part 2: Unlock PowerPoint for Editing Without Password

Step 1: Open the PowerPoint Presentation with a password.

Step 2: Click on File > Info > Protect Presentation, and select "Encrypt with password."

Step 3 : Erase the password from the text box, and click on OK. Save this PPT file, and then the next time you can open the PowerPoint file without a password.

Part 3: Best Alternative — WPS Office

WPS Office is a versatile and comprehensive office suite that offers an excellent alternative for creating, editing, and securing your PowerPoint presentations. It excels in various aspects, making it a top choice for users seeking content protection, collaboration control, enhanced security, and educational use.

Content Protection: Robust tools for securing your documents, including password protection, encryption, and access control.

Collaboration Control: Real-time collaboration features and user access management for effective teamwork.

Security: Built-in document encryption and advanced security options to shield your work from potential risks.

Educational Use: A valuable tool for educators and students, simplifying the creation of educational presentations and documents.

WPS Office is a standout alternative, offering a wide range of features that cater to professionals, educators, and anyone looking to enhance content protection and collaboration in their presentations. It's a comprehensive solution for all your office suite needs.

Download Website: https://www.wps.com/

How to protect a presentation in WPS Office

Step 1: Open Your PowerPoint File

Begin by opening the PowerPoint file you want to lock using WPS Office.

Step 2: Access File Options

In the top-left corner of the WPS Office interface, click on the "Menu" tab.

Step 3: Choose "Option"

From the options on the left-hand menu, select "Option."

Step 4: Select "Securite"

In the "Option" section, click on "Security." A dropdown menu will appear.

Step 5: Set a Password

Enter the desired password in the "Password" box.

Step 6: Confirm the Password

Re-enter the password to confirm it.

Step 7: Save Your File

After setting the password and confirming it, click "OK" to apply the encryption.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to edit a protected powerpoint presentation.

You can edit a protected PowerPoint presentation by copying and pasting content to another presentation, saving or printing it to PDF, and then converting it back to PPTX format. Alternatively, you can remove the password by adding ".zip" to its filename, editing its presentation.xml file, and simply deleting the “modifyVerifier” code. Once saved back in PPTX format, the restrictions are gone.

What causes the "Your account doesn't allow editing on a Mac" message?

The "Your account doesn't allow editing on a Mac" message appears when Microsoft doesn't recognize your Office 365 license. It can also occur due to corrupt files in your Mac's Library folder.

How to show or hide hidden files or folder on Mac OS X?

You can show or hide hidden files or folders on Mac OS X using one of the following methods:

Shortcut keys "CMD + Shift + G"

Terminal provided by Mac OS X

Third-party apps designed for this purpose.

Securing your PowerPoint presentations is essential in today's digital world. In this guide, we've explored various methods to lock your PowerPoint, from adding digital signatures to setting passwords and marking them as final. These techniques ensure that your content remains protected, and your control over it is maintained.

Moreover, our recommended solution, WPS Office , stands out as an excellent alternative for PowerPoint users. With its robust features and user-friendly interface, content protection, collaboration control, robust security features, and educational utility. It's a comprehensive solution that caters to a wide range of users, from professionals to educators and students.

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How to Simply Lock a PowerPoint Presentation from Editing

Worried about privacy leaks? Want to set up protection for your PowerPoint presentations? This article shows you how to simply lock a PowerPoint presentation from editing.

You have two options to choose:

★ Create "Open" password and "Modify" password ★ Customized protection from the "Protect Presentation" feature

Option 1 of 2: Create "Open" password and "Modify" password

Here's How:

( For Office PowerPoint 2003, 2007, 2010 )

1. Click Office button ( PowerPoint Icon if PowerPoint 2010) on the top left.

2. Select Save As . (The Save As dialog box will pop up.)

3. Click Tools drop-down list and choose General Options . (See the following picture.)

4. In the pop-up dialog, create passwords for the desired PowerPoint presentation. You are allowed to create a " password to open ", a " password to modify " or both of them.

As you know, without a "password to open", no one can open the file unless it gets cracked. At this point, he can’t edit the document for he can’t open it even.

And a password to modify is used to apply the change(s) made to the PowerPoint presentation. No password, no changes will be saved to the protected document.

Besides, to create an "open" password, you can also click Office button, Prepare item and then select " Encrypt Document".

If you can see the following screenshot when you open the file above, that means you have made it. Congratulations!

Get your PowerPoint password lost carelessly? Don't worrry. Go to 2 Options to Unlock PowerPoint Document With Password Protection

Option 2 of 2: Flexible and customized protection from the "Protect Presentation" feature

( For Office PowerPoint 2007 or above )

Here’s How:

1. Open the PowerPoint file you want to protect.

2. On the Review tab, choose Protect Presentation .

3. Next click Restricted Access . (The Permission window appears.)

( Windows Live ID or Microsoft account is required .)

4. In the Read box, give the email addresses of those who may read the document. (Divide items with a semicolon.)

5. In the Change box, input the email addresses of those who may edit the document.

6. Next, you can enter the More Options setup and make the PowerPoint document expire after the date you set. Furthermore, you are able to restrict the printing of contents or make other changes.

That’s it. May it help you!

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How to Protect PowerPoint Presentation from Editing

PowerPoint is one of the world’s biggest presentation applications in terms of its user base. Millions of users utilize PowerPoint to set up visually appealing slideshows that incorporate various multimedia elements. As presentations present information to people, many users share their PowerPoint documents via email and cloud storage services. However, a lot of users only need to share their PP slideshows for viewing, not editing, purposes.

Fortunately, Microsoft recognizes that some users will need to apply editing protection to PowerPoint documents before sharing them. Therefore, PowerPoint, and other applications of the MS Office suite, include numerous built-in protection settings users can select to protect their shared documents from unwanted editing. With those built-in editing protection options, users can apply various degrees of editing restrictions to PowerPoint presentations.

Beyond PowerPoint’s built-in options, there are also a few other ways users can protect presentations from editing. Thus, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak, when it comes to applying editing protection to slideshows. This is how to protect a PowerPoint presentation from editing with six alternative methods.

Table of Contents

Method 1. Mark the PowerPoint Presentation as a Final Version

This first method applies a “Marked as Final” message that discourages recipients from applying editing protection to shared presentations. However, users can still apply editing by clicking its “Edit Anyway” option. Thus, marking a document as final doesn’t exactly amount to editing protection. Yet, this option is sufficient for users who only need to inform file recipients that they’ve received final document versions for which editing is not expected. You can mark a PowerPoint document as final as follows.

Step 1: Open a slideshow to mark as final in PowerPoint, and select the File tab.

Step 2: Click “Info” on the left of the File tab to open the options shown directly below.

Step 3: Then press the “Protect Presentation” to open the drop-down menu in the screenshot directly below.

The Mark as Final option in PowerPoint presentation

Step 4: Next, select the “Mark as Final” option there.

Step 5: Click “OK” to confirm the selected option.

Step 6: A dialog window will then pop up that includes a message that says, “This document has been marked as final to indicate that editing is complete and that this is the final version of the document.” Select the “OK” option on that dialog window.

Thereafter, recipients will see the “Marked as Final” message in the snapshot directly below when they open the PowerPoint presentation. If the recipients close that message without clicking “Edit Anyway,” the presentation will remain in a read-only mode.

The Marked As Final message in PowerPoint presentation

Method 2. Set Restrict Access to Protect PowerPoint from Editing

Some PowerPoint users will be able to select a “Restrict Access” option to restrict document permissions to read-only. However, that’s not an entirely universal Office feature as it requires Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) Client Service Pack 1 to be installed and enabled. If you have an Office subscription with Information Rights Management (IRM) enabled, however, you can restrict presentation permissions with that option. This is how to lock a PowerPoint presentation from editing with the “Restrict Access” option.

Step 1: First, click File in PowerPoint.

Step 2: Select “Info” to click the “Protect Presentation” button.

Step 3: Then select the “Restrict Access” option shown directly below if it’s available.

The Restrict Access option in PowerPoint presentation

Step 4: Click “Restricted Access” to open a Permissions window like the one directly below.

The Permission window in PowerPoint presentation

Step 5: Select the “Restrict permission to this document” checkbox.

Step 6: Then click “Read” to select an email address from the Address Book for the user you need to apply restricted read-only document access to.

Step 7: Press the “OK” button.

Method 3. Set “Password to Modify” to Lock A PowerPoint So It Cannot Be Edited

If you want to make sure a presentation recipient won’t modify a shared slideshow document, your best bet is to apply a modification (editing) password to the file. By doing so, recipients you share the presentation with will need to enter a password to edit it. However, they will still be able to open the slideshow in a read-only mode. Thus, applying a password to modify is perhaps the most full-proof way to forestall document editing. This is how to password-protect PowerPoint documents from editing.

Step 1: First, open the slideshow you want to apply an editing password to in PowerPoint.

Step 2: Click PowerPoint’s File tab at the top left of the application.

Step 3: Select the “Save As” option on the File tab.

Step 4: Choose a location to save the presentation.

Step 5: Click the “Tools” button on the Save As window that opens.

Step 6: Then select “General Options” on the menu to open the password window in the screenshot directly below.

Step 7: Type a password in the Password to modify text box.

Step 8: Click “OK” to open a Confirm Password window.

Step 9: Next, type your password within the Reenter password to password to modify box.

Step 10: Select the “OK” option on Confirm Password window.

Step 11: Thereafter, click the “Save” option.

Thereafter, the PowerPoint document you applied an editing password will have a Password window that pops up whenever it’s opened. That window includes a “Read Only” option recipients can select to view the document. You can enter the presentation’s password in the text box to edit it.

Method 4. Save the PowerPoint Presentation With a PPSX Format

PPSX is a read-only PowerPoint file format. Presentations saved with in format are non-editable documents. So, saving a PowerPoint slideshow to the PPSX format is another way to protect it from editing. However, it’s not an entirely full-proof method because recipients can utilize conversion tools to change a presentation’s format to an editable PPT one. This is how to lock a PowerPoint presentation from editing by saving it in the PPSX format.

Step 1: Open a presentation to save with a different file format in PowerPoint.

Step 2: Click File at the top left of PowerPoint’s window.

Step 3: Select the “Save As” option.

Step 4: Then click “Browse” to open a Save As window.

Step 5: Click the “Save as type” drop-down menu.

The Save as type drop-down menu in PowerPoint

Step 6: Select the “PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx)” option on the drop-down menu.

Step 7: Choose a folder to save the file to.

Step 8: Click “Save” to save the presentation with the selected PPSX format.

Method 5: Select the Read-Only File Attribute Option

Aside from PowerPoint’s protection options, you can also select a “Read-only” File Explorer setting for PowerPoint files and other document types. Selecting to apply the read-only attribute to a file will prevent writing to it. Thus, a presentation with a read-only attribute is a non-editable file. This is how to lock a PowerPoint file so it cannot be edited by selecting the “Read-only” attribute setting.

Step 1: To launch File Explorer, press the Windows and E keys at the same time.

Step 2: Open a folder that includes a PowerPoint presentation.

Step 3: Right-click a PowerPoint slideshow file and select “Properties” on its context menu.

The Properties option of a PowerPoint slideshow file

Step 4: Then select the “Read-only” checkbox.

The Read-only checkbox for a PowerPoint document

Step 5: Press the “Apply” button to save the new file attribute setting.

Step 6: Click “OK” to close the properties window.

Method 6: Convert an Editable PowerPoint PPT to PDF Format

Another way to protect a PowerPoint presentation from editing is to convert it to a PDF format. PDF is a universal non-editable document format users can open with PDF viewers and browsers. One thing to note is that a presentation will not strictly be a slideshow in Portable Document Format. However, recipients will still be able to view and read all the presentation’s slides within PDF document pages.

You can convert PPT files to PDF alternatives with the free Online2PDF web app as follows.

Step 1: Open the Online2PDF web app in your browser.

Step 2: Click the “Select files” button there.

Step 3: Choose a PowerPoint file to convert, and click the “Open” button.

Step 4: Press the “Convert” button to initiate the conversion.

Step 4: Then select a folder to download the PDF to, and click the “Save” option.

FAQs About Editing Protection in PowerPoint

Does the powerpoint web app have the same protection features as the powerpoint desktop applications.

No, the PowerPoint web app doesn’t include a “Protect Presentation” button like its desktop software alternatives. However, PowerPoint web app users can select a “Download as PDF” setting to save a presentation in a non-editable PDF format. Furthermore, there’s an “Embed” sharing option in the PP web app you can select to incorporate non-editable presentations on blogs and websites.

What PowerPoint desktop versions are the aforementioned editing protection features applicable to?

The above presentation protection methods are primarily applicable to PowerPoint applications dating back to 2010.

Is an editing password the same as one for an encrypted document?

No, an editing password is not the same because it’s doesn’t block users from opening documents altogether. Users can still open documents without entering editing passwords, but they can’t modify the presentations. Encrypted document passwords block users from opening files.

Does PowerPoint include a built-in “Read-Only” option?

Yes, you can select an “Always Open Read-Only” option on the “Protect Presentation” button’s drop-down menu. However, that option isn’t much different from the “Mark as Final” setting because users can still click an “Edit Anyway” button on its yellow message. Therefore, File Explorer’s “Read-only” file attribute setting is a more full-proof alternative.

Can I remove restrictions from a PowerPoint file I’ve forgotten my editing password for?

There are numerous third-party software packages available that enable users to remove editing restrictions from files. For example, you can utilize Passper for PowerPoint to recover an editing password or remove all restrictions applied to a presentation.

Select remove restrictions in Passper for PowerPoint!

Read More: Best PPT password recovery tools

So, there you have six different ways to apply editing protection for PowerPoint slideshows you share with colleagues. Most of those methods are primarily intended to protect presentations from accidental modifications and aren’t necessarily supposed to be entirely full-proof editing blocks. Methods three and two are the most full-proof ways to stop users from editing shared PowerPoint presentations, which aren’t so straightforward to bypass.

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How to Lock Word Document from Editing: A Step-by-Step Guide

Locking a Word document from editing is a simple yet effective way to protect your content. By adding a password or restricting edit permissions, you ensure that only authorized individuals can make changes. This guide will walk you through the steps needed to accomplish this in a clear and easy manner.

How to Lock a Word Document from Editing

In this section, you’ll learn the exact steps to lock a Word document from editing. This process will restrict others from altering the content of your document unless they have permission.

Step 1: Open your Word document

First, open the Word document that you want to protect.

Make sure the document you want to lock is open in Microsoft Word. Without opening the document, you can’t change its settings to restrict editing.

Step 2: Go to the "File" menu

Click on the "File" menu at the top left corner of the Word window.

The "File" menu is where you’ll find many of the essential document settings, including options for protecting your document.

Step 3: Select "Info"

In the "File" menu, select "Info" from the list of options on the left.

The "Info" section contains various details about your document, including settings for permissions and protection.

Step 4: Click on "Protect Document"

Under the "Info" tab, click on the "Protect Document" button.

This will open a drop-down menu with several options for protecting your document, such as restricting editing and adding a password.

Step 5: Choose "Restrict Editing"

From the drop-down menu, select "Restrict Editing."

This option allows you to limit the types of changes others can make to your document.

Step 6: Set editing restrictions

In the "Restrict Editing" pane, check the box that says "Allow only this type of editing in the document" and choose "No changes (Read only)" from the dropdown menu.

This setting ensures that others can only view your document but cannot make any changes unless they have permission.

Step 7: Apply password protection

Click on "Yes, Start Enforcing Protection" and set a password.

A password adds an extra layer of security, ensuring that only those with the password can make changes to the document.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your Word document will be locked from editing. Only those with the password or permissions you set will be able to make changes.

Tips for Locking a Word Document from Editing

Use a strong password: Ensure the password is complex enough to prevent unauthorized access.
Store the password securely: Keep the password in a safe place to avoid losing access to your document.
Update permissions as needed: Periodically review and update permissions to ensure only authorized individuals have access.
Backup your document: Always keep a backup copy of your document in case you forget the password or need to revert changes.
Educate others: Inform those who need access about the process and importance of protecting documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i remove editing restrictions.

To remove editing restrictions, open the document, go to "File" > "Info" > "Protect Document," and select "Restrict Editing." Click "Stop Protection" and enter the password if prompted.

Can I lock only specific parts of a document?

Yes, you can lock specific parts by selecting the content you want to protect and then applying editing restrictions only to those sections.

What happens if I forget the password?

If you forget the password, you will not be able to remove the editing restrictions. Store your password securely to avoid this issue.

Can I share the document with others?

Yes, you can share the document, but remember that only people with the password or permissions you set can edit it.

Is it possible to track changes made by others?

Yes, you can enable the "Track Changes" feature to monitor edits made by authorized users.

Open your Word document.
Go to the "File" menu.
Select "Info."
Click on "Protect Document."
Choose "Restrict Editing."
Set editing restrictions.
Apply password protection.

Locking a Word document from editing is a crucial step in safeguarding your work. Whether you’re protecting sensitive information or simply ensuring the integrity of your content, following these steps will help you maintain control. Remember, protecting a document is not just about adding a password—it’s about understanding and utilizing the tools available to you. Now that you know how to lock a Word document from editing, feel free to explore other features within Microsoft Word that can further enhance your document’s security. Happy editing!

Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.

He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.

Read his full bio here .