Want to password protect a Word document? Read this article to get the tricks. We'll show you how to encrypt a Word file with a password so that it requires a password to open or edit it. We also illustrate the ways on how to decrypt a document for a Windows PC and Mac. This guide applies to Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and Word 2007.

Encrypt Documents and Files. Data has to leave your Mac, and for any number of reasons. It’s safe on your Mac, but what if you need to email or message a document or file to someone? There are several ways to password protect your documents and files, most of them with the same end result. Caution: When you create a password for a document, write down the password and keep it in a secure place. If you lose the password, you can't open or gain access to the password-protected document.Passwords in Excel for Mac and Word for Mac have a 15-character limit.

Part 1: How to encrypt/decrypt a document in Word 2016-2007 for Windows PC

Microsoft Office lets you encrypt your Office documents, allowing no one access to even view the file unless they have the password. Here we will show you how to password protect a Word document in Windows PC.

Method 1: Encrypt document with password in Word 2016-2007

Step 1: Open your Word 2016 document. Click the File tab on the menu bar.

Step 2: Select the Info tab. Then click Protect Document -> Encrypt with Password.

Step 3: Type a password in the Encrypted Document box, and click OK. Re-enter the password in the Confirm Password dialog, and click OK.

Step 4: Click Save to save your changes.

Then this Word 2016 document is encrypted with password. Anyone needs to enter the right password before opening the document. If you need to decrypt a Word document, do as follows:

1. Click File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.

2. Clear the password in the Password box, and then click OK.

Method 2: Password protect a Word document in General Options

Step 1: Open a document. Click File -> Save As. Click Browser to select the location where you want to save this document. In the Save As dialog, type a file name. Then, click the Tools list, and select General Options.

Step 2: In the General Options dialog, type a password in the box next to Password to open and click OK.

Tips: Here you can add a password so that only authorized users can make changes to a document. To prevent people from changing the protection settings, type a password in the Password to modify box.

Step 3: Type the password and click OK again to confirm.

Now, this Word 2016 document is encrypted with password. A password is required if anyone wants to open the document. If you want to decrypt it, just repeat the steps above, when getting to the Step 2, click in the Password to Open box and press the Backspace key to delete the password.

How to decrypt a Word document if forgot or don't know its password

If you lose or forget the password, it is not easy to recover its password. As all versions of Microsoft Office don’t provide users with any feature to recover a lost password. As a result, you cannot access your important data. In that case, you need the help of a Word recovery tool to find a password. Word Password Refixer is a specialized tool that helps to recover the lost or unknown password for Word documents created by any version of MS Office program. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Get Word Password Refixer software and install it on your computer. After installation is complete, launch it.

Step 2: Click on Open to import the file you want to unprotect.

Step 3: Select the attack types you prefer and configure the relevant settings as your own needs. It uses a brute force recovery method but can also use a dictionary attack if you have a dictionary file.

Tips: Knowing more about Dictionary and Mask attack can help you make a better choice of an attack type. Knowing the tricks of how to perform a high-performance password recovery can help better configure the settings.

Step 4: Click Start button. Then wait patiently until the password is found and displayed.

Step 5: Use the password to open the encrypted Word 2016 document. And then you can decrypt it.

Tips: Word Password Refixer software is specially designed for Windows users. That is to say, it can help decrypt a Word document when Office 2016/2013 is installed on a Windows-based computer instead of a Mac or other device.

Part 2: How to encrypt/decrypt a Word document for Mac

The Microsoft Office password for Mac is a security feature to protect Microsoft Office Word documents with a user-provided password on Mac. Setting up a Microsoft Office password can protect your personal data or confidential information saved in Microsoft Office if you share your Mac with someone else.

To encrypt/decrypt a document in Word 2016/2013 for Mac, here is how:

Step 1: On Mac, open a word document, click Review > Protect Document.

Step 2: Under Security, you can select whether to enter a password to open the document, modify the document, or both. Enter each password again to confirm.

If you want to decrypt a Word document on Mac, go to Review > Protect Document. Under Security, select & clear the Password to open, Password to modify, or both, then Save the file.

To encrypt/decrypt a document in Word 2010 for Mac, here we go:

Step 1: Open the document that you want to help protect. On the Word menu, click Preferences.

Step 2: Under Personal Settings, click Security button.

Step 3: In the Password to open the box, modify the document, or both, enter each password.

Step 4: In the Confirm Password dialog box, type each password again, and then click OK. Click Save button.

To remove a password, select all contents in the Password to open or Password to modify box, and then press DELETE so that Word document is decrypted.

Related Articles

• Set Database Password for MS Access 2016-2007 Database File
• How to Protect PowerPoint Presentation from Editing and Modifying
• How to Unlock Office 2016 File If Forgot Password
• Forgot Password for Excel 2013/2016 Workbook/Worksheet
• Outlook 2010/2013/2016 Keeps Asking for Password, How to Stop It
• How to Unprotect Word Document 2016 without Knowing Password

It is a good idea to lock your Word Documents with a password, in case they have your personal information. This will prevent anyone with access to your computer from viewing your personal information.

Password Protect Word Documents on PC or Mac

There are many users who prefer writing journals, diaries and storing all kinds of personal information in Microsoft Word Documents on their PC or Mac, instead of using Journals, diaries and note bools made out of paper.

The downside to this habit is that anyone with access to your computer can open any of your Word Documents and start reading through your entire journal, diary or view your personal information.

Luckily all versions of Microsoft Office come with a built-in feature which allows you to password protect a Word Document.

You will find below the steps to password protect Microsoft Word Documents in Office 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 both on a PC and a Mac.

Important: Make sure the password that you set is something that you can remember or store it in a secure place.

Password Protect Word Document in Office 2013 and 2016 on PC

Creating a password for Word Documents in Office 2013 and 2016 on PC is a very straightforward and easy procedure.

1. Open the Word Document that you would like to password protect

2. Once the Word Document is open, click on the File option, located in the top left corner of your screen.

3. On the next screen, click on Info from the left menu, in case you are not already on the Info screen.

4. Next click on Protect Document (See image above)

5. From the ensuing dropdown click on Encrypt with Password option

6. Next, you will see a popup, enter the password for the Word Document and click on OK. On the next pop-up re-enter the password and click on Ok once again.

7. Now, close the Word document and from the pop-up click on Save, to save the changes you have just made

From now on whenever someone tries to open that Word document, they will have to enter a password to view the Word Document.

Password Protect Word Document in Office 2013 and 2016 on Mac

The procedure to password protect a Word Document in Office 2013 and 2016 on Mac is different than the procedure to do it on a PC.

1. On your Mac open the Word Document that you would like to password protect

2. Once the document is open, click on the Review tab at the top (See image below)

3. Next click on Protect document (See image below)

4. On the next screen, you have the option to set a Password to Open the document and a Password to modify the document. You can enter the Password in one or both of the boxes and click on OK.

5. Next, you will see a popup, renter your password and click on Ok to save your password.

From now on whenever you or anyone else tries to open this Word document, they will be prompted to enter a password.

Password Protect Word Document in Office 2007 and 2010

The process to password protect Word Document in Office 2007 and 2010 is completely different from doing it in Office 2013 and 2016.

1. Open the Word document that you would like to password protect.

2. Next, click on the Office icon, located in the top left corner

3. From the dropdown hover your mouse over Prepare option and then click on Encrypt Document (See image above)

4. From the pop-up enter in a password for your Word document

5. On the next pop-up renter the password.

6. Once you have set a password, click on the x icon and then from the popup click on Save in order to save your password.

Remove Password from Word Document in Office 2013 and 2016

If you no longer want to password protect your Word Document than you can remove the password.

1. Open the Word Document that you want to remove password from and click on File > Info > Protect Document

2. From the dropdown menu, click on Encrypt with Password

3. On the pop-up clear the password that is currently there and click on Ok

4. Now close the Word document and click on Save to remove the password.

If you are a Mac user than you can also remove password from Word document in case you no longer need one.

1. Open the Word Document that you want to remove password from and click on Review tab

2. Next click on Protect Document.

3. On the next screen clear out the password in the password box and click on OK to save changes

Microsoft Word Document Download

Remove Password from Word Document in Office 2007 and 2010

Let's Encrypt Windows

If you want to remove password from a Word Document, then follow the steps below.

1. Open the Word Document you want to remove password from

2. Click on the Office icon, located in the top left corner of your screen.

3. Next hover your mouse over Prepare option and click on Encrypt Document (See image above)

4. From the pop-up, delete the password and click on OK

Encrypt Care

5. Now close the Word document and click on Save to remove the password