Buzz
Sometimes, you may receive an Excel or Word document from someone else, and when you try to edit it, you're greeted with the message that you only have 'Read-only' access. Fret not! Learn how to effortlessly remove the 'Read-only' attribute in Word and Excel with these handy tips from Software Hacks.
Disabling Protected View in Word/Excel
Method 1: A Proven Approach
Upon opening a Word/Excel file, Office notifies you that your file is in Protected View. Simply click on the Enable Editing button, and your file is ready for modification.
This method allows you to disable Protected View for each file you edit. To deactivate Protected View for all future files, follow these steps.
Method 2: User-Friendly Approach
Step 1: Navigate to File (1) => Select Options (2).
Step 2: In the Options window, select the Trust Center (1) tab => click on the Trust Center Settings (2) button.
Step 3: The Trust Center window appears. Choose the Protected View (1) tab => uncheck the three boxes as illustrated in the image below (2) => then click OK (3) to save the changes.
Perform the same steps for Excel files.
Modifying File Properties
Some files are locked for editing due to changes made by the initiator in file properties. When opening the file, you can't edit it despite turning off the Protected View mode. In such cases, check the file name at the top, and Office will warn you of 'Read-Only' access.
To address this situation, you can disable the 'Read-Only' mode with the following steps:
Step 1: Close the file if it's open. Right-click on the file you want to edit and select Properties.
Step 2: The Properties window appears. Uncheck (tick off) the Read-only option (1) => click the OK (2) button.
Step 3: Reopen the file, and the title no longer displays the 'Read-Only' notification. Now you can edit the content as needed.
Creating a Duplicate with Save As
If you've tried the methods outlined by Software Hacks above and haven't seen results, consider creating a duplicate using the Save As tool.
Step 1: Open the file with editing restrictions. Navigate to File (1) => select the Save As (2) tab => Choose the file-saving path (3).
Step 2: A window displaying the folder path appears. Name the new file (1) and click the Save (2) button.
Step 3: Open the newly created file and edit the content as needed.
Wishing you all the best in your endeavors!
