How to Fix a Word File That Opens in Read-Only Mode

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you open a document and find that it is opened in read-only mode and does not allow you to edit it, then that document is protected. However, there are many things that you can do to solve this problem and open your document in normal mode. So, to help you out, we are going to show how you can solve this problem and open your document in normal mode.

Disable Edit Restriction

Microsoft Word has an in-built feature that allows its users to restrict/protect their documents from being modified by someone else. So, if you or someone else has mistakenly activated this feature on your current document, then this is the reason due to which you are unable to edit your document. However, we can easily solve this problem by deactivating this feature:

1. Find your read-only document and open it.
2. Now click on the “Developer” tab.
3. After that, tap on the “Restrict Editing” option.
4. Now you will see a new window/pane on the right side of your screen.
5. Next, tap on the “Stop Protection” button to disable/remove read-only mode and edit your current document.

Note: If the document is protected using a password, then you will have to enter the password to disable read-only mode and edit your current document.

Disable the Trust Center Options to Open Your Document in Normal Mode

Trust center is an inbuilt feature of Microsoft Word that allows its users to edit restrictions for their documents. However, by disabling this feature, you can easily fix the read-only issue that you are currently facing with your current document. To do this:

1. Launch Microsoft Word app.
2. Now tap on the “File” tab.
3. Next, tap on “Options.”
4. Now you will see a new popup on your screen.
5. Next, tap on the “Trust Center” option (located on the left side menu).
6. Now tap on the “Trust Center Settings” button.
7. Next, tap on the “Protected View” option (located on the left side menu).
8. Now deselect all the three options that are currently enabled.
9. Next, tap on the “OK” button to confirm your changes.
10. Finally, reopen your document and start editing it.

Fix the Word Opening in Read-Only Mode Problem for Email Attachments

Microsoft Word contains many features that keep you, your documents, and data safe from various threats that may be hidden in a Word file. One of these security features opens all the documents sent as an email attachment to you in the read-only mode. This ensures that no harmful file or threat can affect your computer and its data. So, if the document that you are trying to open in normal mode is an email attachment, then you must disable this security feature to disable read-only mode in it. To do this:

1. Launch Microsoft Word app.
2. Now tap on the “File” tab.
3. Next, tap on “Options.”
4. Now you will see a new popup on your screen.
5. Next, tap on the “General” tab.
6. Now deselect “Open email attachments and other uneditable files in reading view” option, which is under the “Startup options” section.
7. Next, tap on the “OK” button to save your changes.
8. Finally, reopen your document and start editing it.

Change the Read-Only Attribute of the File

One quick and easy way to fix the read-only problem in Microsoft Word is to change the read-only attribute of your Word file. To do this:

1. Right-click on your file (Word document) and tap on the “Properties” option.
2. Now select the “Read-only” attribute and tap on the “OK” button.
3. Next, reopen the “Properties” menu and deselect the “Read-only” attribute.
4. Now tap on the “OK” button to confirm your changes.
5. Finally, open your Word file and start editing it.

Conclusion

As we discussed above in the article, there are many inbuilt security features in the Microsoft Word app that may prevent you from opening your document in normal mode. But we can quickly solve this problem with a little patience, awareness, and knowledge. So, do use the tips that we discussed in this article to fix your Word document and open it in normal mode.

Emily Hadley is an avid technical blogger, a magazine contributor, a publisher of guides at Blogs Book, and a professional cyber security analyst. Through her writing, she aims to educate people about the dangers and threats lurking in the digital world. Visit Our Site, pagesix.uk.com

Source: How to Fix a Word File That Opens in Read-Only Mode

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Report this Page

Created on Sep 4th 2020 02:25. Viewed 226 times.

Share on APSense

Comments