One of the issues that most concern users with technology are security and privacy, which has led Microsoft to introduce the option to use a password in Word and Excel, two of the programs that keep more information about us. With the intention that you learn to take advantage of it, we teach you how to do it yourself.
After the steps that we are going to show you, we will be a little more expert in Word and Excel, although they are two programs with a multitude of options that do not cease to surprise us at any time and that is why we invite you to continue watching the blog where we teach you the keys to technology.
Why would we want to put passwords on files?
The main reason that can lead us to put a password in our files is simple and it is to prevent anyone who has access to our computer or our file in general, from reading what we have written without our consent.
Given the many possibilities of Word, we could use it to write down ideas, projects or we could even use Excel to keep the accounts of our house. This would lead us to wish that no one could see it and this is the best way to achieve greater privacy.
How to put a password in Word or Excel?
Since both programs belong to Microsoft, their tools are very similar if not identical and this leads us to come across the same steps to follow in both. The only thing that will change will be the color of the program but the steps to establish a password in the document are the same in both programs.
The first thing we have to do is open a document that we have already created or make a new one to try to use the passwords. Once we are inside the story, before closing it we have to click on File, which brings us to a series of options, among which we will click on Information.
Therefore the path to follow will be File> Information. Once here, we will find the option that will give us the possibility to put the password on the “Protect Document” button. There are several options that the drop-down menu shows us with the following security options:
- Always open read-only – An option that forces users to confirm that they are going to make changes.
- Encrypt with password: the option that adds a secret key to open it
- Restrict Editing – Control the changes others can make.
In our case, we opted for encrypting with a password, the option that will be requested as soon as we press a secret key that only we must know. This modification will only be made in this document and not in any other on the computer.
What if I can’t remember the password?
In case of not remembering the password of the document, we would be in a hurry since it is not possible to access it simply. That is why we invite you to write down the password in a safe place or, on the contrary, use it for Word documents in case we protect several.
As it is a file available online, nothing happens by repeating the password, something that does affect cloud accounts.
Can we see protected documents on mobile?
In the same way that when we try to open the file on the computer, it asks us for a password, it will also appear on the mobile and we will only have to type it. This will not allow you to edit it without any problem and save it again, combining it whenever we need it again with the computer.
Also Read: How To View Word, Excel And Powerpoint Documents On Android Phones