Microsoft Office users who regularly use Word to create and share documents may or may not know that documents created in Microsoft Word can be copy-protected. A copy-protected document, also commonly referred to as a read-only document, allows a personal computer (PC) user to restrict other PC users from making modifications, or edits to a documents. Microsoft Office users, according to Microsoft, “can use the ‘Mark as Final’ command to make the document read-only and prevent changes to the document.” The “Mark as Final” command is only available in Microsoft Office 2007.
Step One
Create a Word document in Microsoft Office 2007. If you already have a Word 2007 document, open the document.
Step Two
Find the “Mark as Final” tool by clicking on the Office button located at the top left-hand corner and then go to the “Prepare” button; the “Mark as final” command is located under “Prepare.”
Step Three
Disable all proofing tools, such as copying and pasting, in your Word 2007 document by clicking on the “Mark as Final” tool located under the “Prepare” sub-menu.