How to Set, Reset, & Remove Password Protection of a Word File

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Easy ways to protect or unlock your MS Word document
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Do you know how to set a password for Microsoft Word (MS Word) files? Password-protecting a Word document will keep its content safe from unauthorized users. This wikiHow guide will teach you everything you need to know about password-protecting your Word document, including how to set a password, change the password, remove the password, and what to do if you misplace the password.

Set, Change, or Remove a Password in Word

  • On Windows, you can password-protect a Word document in File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.
  • On a Mac, go to Review > Protect > Protect Document to set a password.
  • To remove the password, go to the same location, delete the current password, and click OK.
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Set a Password on a Word File (Windows)

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  1. 1
    Click the File menu and select Info. You will see Info on the left tab of the File menu.
    • You cannot password-protect a Word document using Word on the web. You must be using the desktop application.[1]
  2. 2
    Click Protect Document. This expands a menu.
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  3. 3
    Click Encrypt with Password. This option ensures that your document will remain encrypted unless the correct password is entered.[2]
  4. 4
    Create a password and click OK. The password is case sensitive and can be up to 15 characters long. Be sure to keep a copy of the password in a safe place in case you lose it–you cannot recover the password if you forget it.[3]
  5. 5
    Save your Word document. Once saved, the password will be set. The next time you (or someone else) opens the document, you'll be required to enter the password to view and edit the file.[4]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Set a Password on a Word File (Mac)

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  1. 1
    Click the Review tab. You'll see it in the toolbar above your Word document.
    • You cannot password-protect a Word document using Word on the web. You must be using the Word for Mac desktop app..
  2. 2
    Click the Protect icon. It's the sheet of paper with a lock in the toolbar. A few protection options will appear.
  3. 3
    Click Protect Document. This opens the Password Protect screen.[5]
  4. 4
    Create a password. Enter a password into the first field, and then enter the same password into the second field. Passwords are case-sensitive and can be up to 15 characters long.[6]
    • Be sure to choose a password you'll remember (or keep a copy somewhere safe) in case you lose it, as passwords cannot be recovered.
  5. 5
    Click OK and save your document. Once the Word document is saved, password protection is active. The next time you (or someone else) opens the document, you'll be prompted to enter the password. The document will be available for viewing and editing once the correct password is entered.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Change or Remove the Password on a Word File (Windows)

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  1. 1
    Open the document and enter the current password. You must be able to enter the current password to open or edit the document. If you don't know the password, you won't be able to open the document to change or remove the password.[7]
    • This method will not work if you're using the web version of Word. You must be using the Windows desktop app.
  2. 2
    Click the File menu and select Info. You will see Info on the left tab of the File menu.
  3. 3
    Click Protect Document. This expands a menu.
  4. 4
    Click Encrypt with Password. The current password will appear in the password box.
  5. 5
    Replace or delete the existing password.[8]
    • To change the password, delete the text from the Password box, then type a new password. Passwords can be up to 15 characters long and are case sensitive.
    • To remove the password, delete the existing password so the field is completely blank.
  6. 6
    Click OK and save the file. Once your Word file is saved, your changes will take effect.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Change or Remove the Password on a Word File (Mac)

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  1. 1
    Open the Word document and enter the current password. You must enter the current password to open or edit the document. If you don't know the password, you can't change or remove it.
    • Make sure you are using the Word desktop app for macOS, not Word on the web. You can't make changes to passwords in the online version of Word.
  2. 2
    Click the Review tab. You'll see it in the toolbar above your Word document..
  3. 3
    Click the Protect icon. It's the sheet of paper with a lock in the toolbar. A few protection options will appear.
  4. 4
    Click Protect Document. This opens the Password Protect screen, where you'll see the current password.[9]
  5. 5
    Change or delete the password.
    • To change the password, delete the current password from the boxes, and type in a new password. Passwords can be up to 15 characters long and are case sensitive.
    • To remove the password, delete everything from the Password fields.[10]
  6. 6
    Click OK and save your document. Your changes to the password will take effect immediately.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Recover the Password of a Word Document

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  1. 1
    Make a copy of the Word file. If you can't remember the password, there's a slight chance you may be able to recover it using this method. Reddit users have reported some success using this method to recover a Word document without the password.[11] Unfortunately, it's not guaranteed to work.
    • To make a copy of the file, first, navigate to it in File Explorer (PC) or Finder (Mac).
    • Select the Word file by clicking it once.
    • Press Ctrl+C (PC) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac) to copy the file.
    • Click in a blank area of the same folder.
    • Press Ctrl+V (PC) or ⌘ Command+V (Mac) to paste a copy of the file.
    • Press Enter or Return to select the default file name.
  2. 2
    Rename the file and change the file extension. Now, you'll be changing the new file's name so that it ends with the .zip file extension. Here's how:
    • Windows
      • In File Explorer, click View.
      • On Windows 10, check the box next to "File name extensions."[12]
      • On Windows 11, select Show > File name extensions.
      • Right-click the new file and select Rename.
      • Type a new name for the file, and replace ".docx" at the end with .zip.
      • Press Enter.
      • Click Yes to confirm that you want to change the file extension.
    • Mac
      • Click the Word file once and press Return.[13]
      • Type a new name for the file, and replace ".docx" at the end with .zip.
      • Press Return.
  3. 3
    Open the ZIP file. If you're using a Mac, just double-click the new ZIP file–this will create a new folder with the same name in the current folder.[14] On a PC, right-click the new ZIP file and select Open in new window.
  4. 4
    Drag the "settings.xml" file outside the new folder. You will find "settings.xml" in the "word" folder that appears in the extracted folder. You can drag it over to your desktop for now.
  5. 5
    Open the "settings.xml" file in a text editor. To do this, right-click or control-click the file, select Open with, then choose Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac).
  6. 6
    Change the "enforcement" value. To do this:
    • Search the file for the word "enforcement."
      • On a PC, press Ctrl+F, type enforcement, and press Enter.
      • On a Mac, go to Edit > Find > Find, type enforcement, and click the arrow button to jump to that location.[15]
    • Next to "enforcement," change the 1 to a 0.
    • Save the file and close the text editor.
  7. 7
    Drag "settings.xml" back into the ZIP file. If prompted, click Yes to overwrite.
  8. 8
    Rename the file to give it the DOCX file extension. Just as you renamed it earlier, rename the file, this time replacing ".zip" with ".docx".[16]
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-a-document-with-a-password-05084cc3-300d-4c1a-8416-38d3e37d6826#id0ebf=windows
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-a-document-with-a-password-05084cc3-300d-4c1a-8416-38d3e37d6826#id0ebf=windows
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-a-document-with-a-password-05084cc3-300d-4c1a-8416-38d3e37d6826#id0ebf=windows
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-a-document-with-a-password-05084cc3-300d-4c1a-8416-38d3e37d6826#id0ebf=windows
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-a-document-with-a-password-05084cc3-300d-4c1a-8416-38d3e37d6826#id0ebf=macos
  6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-a-document-with-a-password-05084cc3-300d-4c1a-8416-38d3e37d6826#ID0EBBF=macOS_-_newer&id0ebf=macos
  7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/remove-a-password-from-a-document-6c0b8d92-567d-4199-8e3d-9cd7dc400aec
  8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/remove-a-password-from-a-document-6c0b8d92-567d-4199-8e3d-9cd7dc400aec
  9. ↑ https://it.tufts.edu/guides/password-protecting-and-encrypting-files/password-protecting-and-encrypting-ms-word-files
  1. ↑ https://it.tufts.edu/guides/password-protecting-and-encrypting-files/password-protecting-and-encrypting-ms-word-files
  2. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftWord/comments/1h6phhv/remove_password_on_ms_word/?rdt=32913
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/common-file-name-extensions-in-windows-da4a4430-8e76-89c5-59f7-1cdbbc75cb01#id0ebf=windows_10
  4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/rename-files-folders-and-disks-on-mac-mchlp1144/mac
  5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/zip-and-unzip-files-and-folders-on-mac-mchlp2528/mac
  6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/textedit/find-and-replace-text-txtef6cfde1a/mac
  7. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftWord/comments/1h6phhv/remove_password_on_ms_word/?rdt=32913

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 73,746 times.
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Co-authors: 13
Updated: September 29, 2025
Views: 73,746
Categories: Microsoft Word
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