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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.

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.

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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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• Password Protecting and Encrypting Files
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Password Protecting and Encrypting MS PowerPoint Files (Mac)

To password protect and/or encrypt a document using Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac:

1. Open the MS PowerPoint for Mac file you want to encrypt and password protect.

2. Select File > Passwords

3. In the Password to open section, check Encrypt this presentation and require a password to open.

4. In the New password field, type a password. Passwords are case-sensitive.

5. Verify (reenter) the same password.

6. Click Set Password .

7. Click OK . The file is now encrypted and requires this password to open it.

8. Don't forget to save this password in a secure password manager and securely communicate this to any users or recipients of this file.

9. To reverse this, repeat the steps without entering a password. Save the document and it will no longer require a password to open it. 

NOTE :  Do not send an email with the file and the password in the same email. Find some other manner to communicate the password to users other than email if you will be emailing the file.

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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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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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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials PowerPoint Password Protection

PowerPoint Password Protection

PowerPoint password protection adds a layer of protection to your presentations to ensure no one can access the slide deck without authorization. This can help protect confidential presentations and the organization’s branded PowerPoint templates from misuse.

How to Password Protect a PowerPoint

For password-protecting PowerPoint or applying PowerPoint encryption, go to File -> Info -> Protect Presentation -> Encrypt with Password . The same section also provides other options for protecting your PowerPoint, including making it read-only, adding a digital signature, and marking the presentation as final.

Enter a password to proceed further. It is advised to keep your password or hint for the password securely saved somewhere since you cannot recover the PowerPoint file if you cannot enter the password.

You will require reentering the password to ensure both password entries match.

Once your PowerPoint file is password protected, the Protect Presentation dropdown menu will turn yellow. A message will also be that you must enter a password to access the file. This is a sign that your file is now password protected.

Whenever you open the PowerPoint presentation, you will require entering the password to access it unless the password protection is removed.

How to Remove Password from PowerPoint

To remove password protection, go to File -> Info -> Protect Presentation -> Encrypt with Password .

When the password dialog box appears, empty the password field and click OK to apply changes.

Your file will no longer be password protected, and the Protect Presentation menu will turn white again, indicating that a password no longer protects the file.

Final Words

Password protection and encryption of PowerPoint files help add a layer of security to presentations that can be useful for both confidential PowerPoint files and to ensure the files are safe in case they are accidentally sent to an unintended recipient. You can remove the password anytime. However, it is important to remember the original password to unlock the file protection. It’s always a good idea to keep at least a hint for your password safely placed somewhere for memory recall in case you forget your password.

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How to protect / lock a PowerPoint presentation?

• September 28, 2020
• Last updated: August 22, 2023

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 .

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

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.

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

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How to Password Protect PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Shortcuts & Hacks
• February 27, 2019

Are you ready to learn how to password protect PowerPoint presentations so that others cannot edit or copy and paste your content?

Before you get started though, please remember this. If you forget the password you created in the steps below, you will not be able to recover your password, or unlock your presentation.

Now before password protect your presentation, it’s important to first understand the difference between the two types of Passwords you can use to protect your PowerPoint presentations.

Two Types of PowerPoint Passwords

PowerPoint has two different styles or types of passwords you can add to your presentation which determine what someone can and can’t do with your presentation.

While the difference between the two pop-up windows as you can see in the picture below appears small, the difference is big.

1. Password to Open

Adding a password to open forces you (or whoever opens your presentation) to input a password to be able to not only see but edit the content of your presentation.

If they do not know the correct (case-sensitive) password, they cannot open, review or modify your presentation in any way. Just keep in mind that there is NO WAY to recover a forgotten password.

So if you password protect your presentation AND forget your password, you too will not be able to open or edit your presentation.

2. Password to Modify

Adding a password to Modify gives your clients and colleagues two different ways to access your presentation.

• They can enter the correct password and get full editing rights to your document (just like a normal presentation).
• They can choose to open your file in a Read-Only format, allowing them to view (but not edit) your PowerPoint presentation.

To give someone the Read-Only option pictured below to access your presentation, you must use the password to Modify option.

In the Read-Only version of your presentation, people can still print, save your file as a PDF and run your presentation in the Slideshow modes. To see all the slideshow shortcuts and techniques, check out our ultimate slideshow guide here.

On top of that, all of your PowerPoint animations, effects, hyperlinks, etc. will still work in the Read-Only version of your document. But other than reviewing your document, people will NOT be able to edit, modify or copy and paste any of your content.

How to add a password to PowerPoint

To password protect your PowerPoint presentation using either the Password to Open or Password to Modify options, follow the steps below.

1. Open the PowerPoint presentation you want to password protect

The only way to add a password to a specific presentation is from within the presentation itself. So as a first step, find and open the presentation that you want to password-protect.

As a best practice, I recommend creating a non-password-protected copy of your presentation and saving it on your computer. That way if you forget your password, you can always open the non-password-protected version on your computer.

To create a copy of your presentation, simply Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste it inside a File Explorer window.

2. Open the Save As dialog box

The FASTEST way to access the Save As dialog box from within PowerPoint is using your keyboard shortcuts. You can use either of the two keyboard shortcuts (whichever is easier for you to remember):

• F12 for Save As
• Ctrl + Shift + S for Save As

If you hit F12 and nothing happens, that means that your function keys are reversed. In this case, try adding the Function key to the sequence:  Fn + F12 .

3. Open the Tools dropdown

Inside the Save As dialog box, open the Tools dropdown (it is right next to the Save button as pictured above).

Note : The Save As dialog box is also the trick to converting PowerPoint to PDF .

4. Select General Options

Inside the Tools dropdown, select General Options . This is where you can add/remove passwords to your PowerPoint presentations.

5. Enter your password (Open or Modify)

Inside the General Options dialog box, decide which type of password to add to your presentation (see my explanation of both types at the top of this page).

Your two options are:

• Password to Open
• Password to Modify

To get started, simply click into the input box for the type of password you want to protect PowerPoint with (Open or Modify) and type your password.

Remember too that passwords are case-sensitive, so be careful you don’t have the Caps Lock key on when you enter your password. Thankfully, you get the chance to confirm your password in the next step.

6. Confirm your Password

This is your chance to confirm you have typed the correct password for your presentation. As there is no way to view the password you have typed, I recommend taking care here to make sure you type what you think you typed.

If you make a mistake and the two passwords are not the same, you get the following error notification.

Clicking OK , you can either re-type your password correctly or select Cancel to exit out of the Confirm Password dialog box.

PowerPoint will not allow you to add a password to your presentation unless you can first confirm your password.

7. Rename your Presentation (Recommended)

While renaming your password-protected presentation is optional, to me this is a critical best practice.

I personally like to add “- with Password” or “PW” or “Password to Open” to identify the document as having a password. This also helps you distinguish it from your original (non-password protected) document that you hopefully saved in step #1 above.

In this step, you can also choose where to save your password-protected document on your computer by navigating between your folders.

8. Save and Close your document

Once you have selected a location on your computer to save your password-protected presentation, click Save and then close out of your document to trigger the password.

As long as you have your document open, you will not need to enter the password to open it (as it is already open). Closing the document triggers the password gate to close, requiring a password to open it again.

9. Double-check your password works properly

Before you send off your document as final, double-check that your password properly works. This is especially important if you created a non-password-protected version of your presentation, to make sure you are working with the correct file.

Find your protected presentation on your computer and double-click it to open it up. If the document immediately opens without asking you to enter a password, it means that:

• You selected the non-password-protected version of your document
• You never closed your PowerPoint presentation after adding your password (see step #8 above)
• You made a mistake somewhere along the way and should start over

Either way, double-checking this now will save you from accidentally sending your client the wrong file.

Once your password is properly added to your presentation, opening the document forces you to enter a password to continue. Once you see the dialog box, try entering your password to make sure you have the right one.

How to remove a password from PowerPoint

Tired of always having to enter in a password to edit your presentation? Well, let’s look at how to remove a password from your presentation.

For example, you added a password to your presentation to work with a specific client, and now that project is over. So you want to remove the password so you and your team can access it without always having to enter a password.

Removing a password is very similar to adding a password. Simply follow these steps.

1. Find and open the password-protected presentation

The only way to remove a password from PowerPoint is from within the password-protected presentation.

Navigate to the file on your computer, and double-click it to open it. If a dialog box does not pop open asking you for a password to continue, it means one of two things:

• You have selected the wrong presentation
• Your presentation is not password-protected

Notice how easy it is to see which presentation is password-protected in the picture above? That is why I recommend adding a qualifier in the name of any PowerPoint presentation you password protect.

2. Enter the correct password and click OK

Regardless of whether you have a Password to Open or a Password to Modify, enter the correct password and click OK to get full editing rights to your document.

You cannot remove a password in the Read-Only version of PowerPoint that you can access with the Password to Modify .

If you do not know the password to the presentation, you cannot remove the password from the document (sorry). This is why I recommend saving a non-password-protected version of your file first.

3. Open the Save As dialog box

Once you have successfully opened the password-protected presentation, now you can remove the password. To get started, hit F12 or Ctrl + Shift + S to open the Save As dialog box.

4. Open the Tools dropdown

Inside the Save As dialog box, click to open the Tools dropdown.

5. Select General Options

Inside the Tools dropdown, select General Options to remove the password from your presentation.

6. Select and delete the password

Depending on what type of password was added to your presentation, you should see a sequence of circles or asterisks marks in either the Password to Open or Password to Modify option as pictured below.

Simply select the password in the dialog box and hit either Delete or Backspace on your keyboard.

Two things you cannot do in this dialog box are:

• You cannot view the password. So if you open a password-protected presentation on your computer, your colleague cannot sneak a peek at the password when you are not looking.
• You cannot password-protect your presentation with both types of passwords. You will either have a Password to open or a Password to modify , never both (it is impossible).

7. Click OK and then Save

After deleting the password, click OK and then click Save .

This saves your presentation without the password, allowing you to open the file without having to use a password in the future.  If you like, you can also choose to rename your file now that it is no longer password-protected.

8. Double-check the password is removed

Before you forget, double-check that the password has been removed from your presentation.

Close your PowerPoint presentation (Ctrl + W on your keyboard) and then reopen. If you are again asked to enter a password to open or modify the presentation then something went wrong along the way.

If this happens to you, don’t sweat it. It is better to figure this out now (and fix the problem) rather than having your client or colleague email you about the issue.

PowerPoint Password Tips

I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT forget your password.

A number of people have asked whether it is possible to recover a password they have forgotten. Unfortunately, there is no way to retrieve a forgotten password like this that I know of. 

This is why I recommend saving a copy of your original presentation (a non-password protected version) before adding a password to it. That way if you forget your password, you can always go back to the original (non-password protected) document, without having to recreate the wheel.

A few additional PowerPoint password tips are:

Tip #1. Passwords are case sensitive, so watch out for upper case letters. 

That means that locking PowerPoint with the uppercase password ‘OPEN SESAME’ is treated differently than the lowercase password ‘open sesame.’

Tip #2. Make your passwords easy to remember

One way to make your passwords easy to remember is to either reference the client’s name in the password or just used the first four letters of the document.

An example using the client’s name could be m icrosoft open (I recommend using lower-case) if your client is Microsoft

An example using the first four letters for a file called “Quarterly Report” would be quar open (again making it all lower case so it is easier to remember).

Tip #3. Don’t use the same password for all of your presentations

Just like you shouldn’t use the same password for all your personal things, you don’t want to use the same password to open all of your presentations. That is because if someone figures that out, they will be able to open all of your password-protected presentations.

Tip #4. Develop a naming convention that makes sense for you

For help developing a naming convention for your passwords so they are always easy to remember, check out the following tips by GrowMap here .

Now you know how to both add and remove passwords to your PowerPoint presentations.

Two important things to remember about password protecting your presentations are:

#1. Most people are not familiar with having to add a password to open a presentation. So, if your password-protect your presentation, warn your clients and colleagues in advance.

#2. There is no way to recover your password if you forget it. So, use an easy to remember password, write it down and better yet, save a non-password-protected version of your presentation that you can always refer to it if necessary.

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about our PowerPoint training products and services, visit us here .

What’s Next?

Related articles, about the author.

This Post Has 2 Comments

Thanks for the article! So there is no way to recover the password? I had this problem once and tried googling for it, there are a lot of sites that claim it’s possible. Fortunately it was just an edit password and a simple ppt, so ended up making a new presentation with the same text and pictures.

To my knowledge, there is no way to recover a password. That is why I recommend saving a copy of your presentation without a password before adding one. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.

Comments are closed.

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Whether you’re dealing with sensitive client info, for-company-eyes-only internal data or a pitch deck that’s just too good to leak, sometimes it pays to protect PowerPoint presentations. Across PC, iOS and Google platforms, you can secure your work with simple password protection, which not only helps shield the presentation from prying eyes, but can also add an extra layer of protection before anyone yourself included can make edits. 

Different platforms call for slightly different processes, but the payoff is the same across the tech spectrum: just a little extra peace of mind.

Table of Contents

Password Protect PowerPoint on PC and Mac

To prevent your PowerPoint from being opened or modified without a password on desktop platforms, you’ll follow the same process whether you’re working on Windows or iOS. Per Microsoft, this straightforward security measure works across these versions of PowerPoint:

• PowerPoint for Microsoft 365
• PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac
• PowerPoint for the web
• PowerPoint 2021
• PowerPoint 2021 for Mac
• PowerPoint 2019 
• PowerPoint 2019 for Mac
• PowerPoint 2016
• PowerPoint 2016 for Mac
• PowerPoint 2013
• PowerPoint for Mac 2011
• PowerPoint 2010

After you’ve created a PowerPoint presentation, first select “File,” then click “Info.” Choose “Protect Presentation” from the drop-down menu that appears, then “Encrypt with Password.” Type the password you’d like to use in the Password box, then hit “OK,” and you’re good to go.

Be sure to write down the password before you click “OK” as PowerPoint does not offer password recovery options if you lose the password, you’ll be out of luck. For co-work presentations, only the first person on a shared network to open the PowerPoint file and input the password will be able to edit it. If someone else attempts to open the password-protected PowerPoint presentation simultaneously, they’ll be able to view the file, but not edit it.   

Protect a PowerPoint Presentation on Mobile Devices

When you’re working with the latest version of PowerPoint on the go, you’ll secure your presentations at the app level using the built-in features of Microsoft 365 Business Premium . To get started, you’ll need to log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center. Note that you will need admin privileges to implement these security measures.

First head to “Policies,” then choose the “Add policy” option. You’ll be prompted to enter a policy name (make sure it’s straightforward and easily identifiable, like “App Security”). Choose a policy type from the “Policy type” drop-down menu this is where you’ll choose if you’re managing your policy for iOS, Android or Windows.   

Now choose “Manage how users access Office files on mobile devices” and toggle the option to require a PIN or fingerprint by which to access Office apps. New options will appear, allowing you to customize not just how you protect PowerPoint presentations, but how you protect your entire Office suite. You can choose to reset the PIN when a login fails a certain number of times, require users to sign in again when Office has been idle for a specific number of minutes, deny access to work files on jailbroken or rooted devices or decide whether or not users can copy content from Office apps into their personal apps.   

Finally, you can simply check or uncheck the boxes next to their respective icons to choose which apps will be protected, including Excel , OneDrive , OneNote, Outlook, Word, Skype for Business and of course, PowerPoint. You can also change the “Who will get these settings?” option from the default setting of all users to any security group you’ve previously created, or you can select “Restore default settings” if you no longer wish to use this added layer of security.

A Word on Encryption…

When you enable app security policies on Microsoft 365, you’ll see an additional menu titled “Protect work files when devices are lost or stolen.” Here, you can toggle the setting to encrypt work files on. Whether you want to protect PowerPoint presentations or just about any other type of file, encryption works hand-in-hand with password protection to serve as an absolutely vital security tool. This process scrambles plain text into virtually indecipherable code; only users with a key, such as a password, PIN or fingerprint ID, can unscramble that text. Ideally, even if the file is intercepted, encryption makes it unreadable to bad actors .

Unfortunately, encryption isn’t available everywhere. As PC Mag notes, the widely used Google Drive the cloud-based home to the popular PowerPoint alternative, Google Slides does not offer any sort of native encryption or password protection, potentially leaving the data of more than one billion users vulnerable .

…and How CapLinked Can Help

If you prefer Slides to PowerPoint or simply want a more secure solution that goes beyond adding a password protection to PowerPoint alone, CapLinked’s virtual data room has your back. With fewer than 10 minutes of setup, you can securely manage any type of Microsoft Office file, PDFs and other common file types across all of your teams and workspaces. If you prefer to keep your digital presentations on the cloud, CapLinked also works natively with Google Drive , Dropbox , OneDrive and Box. 

Whether you’re working with a .PPTX, spreadsheets or a PDF , everything you share on CapLinked travels via a secure connection, with enterprise-grade security certified by EU-US Privacy Shield, FISMA, HIPAA and others. And even if you’re dealing with regular old business-grade M&As , you’re still covered by military-grade 256-bit encryption, because your data can never be too safe.

Dan is a small business owner and freelance writer based in Dallas, TX. In over a decade of experience, he’s been fortunate to write and collaborate with business-facing brands including The Motley Fool, Chron, Office Depot, Fortune and more.

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How To Protect A PowerPoint File Document With A Password

Why do you need to protect a PowerPoint File document with a password?

How to encrypt and secure a powerpoint file document with a password, password protect a powerpoint file document with powerpoint, encrypt a powerpoint file document with a mac, is password protection the best solution to protect your powerpoint file documents, try a dedicated secure document management platform such as helprange, check out helprange.

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PowerPoint: Restrict Editing with a Password

You have probably password protected documents in Word or Excel . In Excel Advanced Formulas , we even talk about how you can protect individual cells from being altered, while leaving the rest open to changes. Microsoft does not make it as obvious in PowerPoint that password protection is a possibility is it does in its other programs… but you actually have several options, including the ability to restrict editing while still allowing users to view your presentation. Let’s take a look.

Exercise File

No Exercise File today! You can open up PowerPoint into any random template if you would like to follow along.

Be Cautious with Microsoft Passwords

The usual password disclaimer applies…

• Be very careful applying passwords in any Microsoft program.
• If you lose the password, neither Microsoft nor ITS can reset it for you (trust me, I have been there).
• You may want to save an copy of your original file without a password for your personal use.

Password Protecting Documents in Word and Excel

Password protection in Word and Excel is fairly obvious; you even have a special button in the Review tab to guide you through Restrict Editing features or Protect Sheet/Workbook in the case of Excel.

With both Word and Excel, there are also a variety of Protect Workbook features in backstage ( File ) view.

On the other hand… in PowerPoint , the protection features are absent in the Review tab, though there are a lot of the same options for encryption in backstage view as Word or Excel…

Encrypt with Password would require someone to have a password to open your document, but maybe you only want to restrict editing . This is where people become frustrated.

For many people, Restrict Access looks like the right place to go, but for many it directs them to Connect to Rights Management Servers, which errors out when selected. There is a better way to do this…

“Save As” Password Options

1. With your presentation open, go to File , Save As (or remember my favorite shortcut, F12 ).

2. In the lower right, click on Tools dropdown and select General Options.

3. A screen will appear prompting you to either:

• Require a password to Open , or
• Require a password to Modify . Let’s stick with Modify for now.

4. Enter a password for Modify , and click OK . You may be prompted to reenter the password.

5. Save and close your PowerPoint file. Open the file again, and you should be prompted to either enter a password , or open a read only version.

Your users will still be able to view and print the document, but they will not be able to make changes.

Remove the Password

Later, if you would like to remove the password:

1. Open the file, entering the password when prompted.

2. Revisit the Save As screen to find the Tools, General Options where you first set the password.

3. Here you can remove the password you originally created and press OK

What do you think? Did you know about this feature in PowerPoint?

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Protect PowerPoint Presentation

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

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  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.

Protecting CAD drawings

  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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Password protection for presentations in PowerPoint

A password helps to prevent other people from opening or modifying a presentation.

Caution:  When you create a password for a presentation, record the password and keep it in a secure place. If you lose the password, it can't be retrieved and you won't be able open or gain access to the presentation.

Add password protection to a file

Select File > Info .

Select Protect Presentation > Encrypt with Password .

In the Password box, enter the password you'd like to use. Select OK .

PowerPoint prompts you to confirm the password by entering it once more.

Save the file to ensure the password takes effect.

Password protection isn't supported in PowerPoint for ODP (Open Document Presentation) files. 

Remove a password from a file

Removing a password from a document is a simple process, but you have to know the original password.

Open the presentation whose password you want to remove.

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

Co-authoring a password-protected file

If you attempt to open a password-protected file that someone else is currently working on, you'll be able to open it, but you won't be able to edit it. You'll see the file in read-only mode.

Add or remove protection in your document, workbook, or presentation

Require a password to open a presentation

Click File > Passwords .

Under Password to open , select the Encrypt this presentation and require a password to open check box.

In the New password box, type a password.

Note:  To create a strong password, use at least seven characters and include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and non-alphabetic characters such as !,$, #, and %. Do not include your account name or other personal information.

In the Verify box, type the password again, and then click Set Password .

Click OK , and then save your presentation.

Tip:  To remove the password, clear the Encrypt this presentation and require a password to open check box, click OK , and then save your presentation.

Require a password to modify a presentation

You can add a password so that only authorized users can modify a presentation. Unauthorized users can still open the presentation and then save it by using a different file name.

Under Password to modify , select the Require a password to modify the presentation check box.

Tip:  To remove the password, clear the Require a password to modify the presentation check box, click OK , and then save your presentation.

Change a password to open or modify a presentation

Under Password to open or Password to modify , click Change Password .

In the New password box, type the new password.

To open a password-protected presentation: Enter the password for the file in the box.

Passwords are case-sensitive. Make sure you don't accidentally have Caps Lock turned on.

You can try again if you enter an incorrect password.

The file can't be opened without the password. If you don't know the password, you'll have to check with the person that encrypted the file. 

For ODP (Open Document Presentation) files, password protection isn't supported in PowerPoint for the web.

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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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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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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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