How Can I Unlock My Windows Doc?

Microsoft Word allows users to place a password on a document, or .doc file, so only users with the password can view the file. The password also protects the file from unauthorized changes. To unlock a Word file, you must know the password to open the file. You can remove the password by changing the password protection settings in Microsoft Word.

Instructions

1. Double-click the locked .doc file on your computer to open it with Microsoft Word. A password prompt will appear.

2. Type in the password for the document to open it in Word.

3. Click on "File" in the top left corner of Word; scroll down and select "Info."

4. Select the "Encrypt with password" option to the right of the drop-down menu. A pop-up window will appear, pre-filled with asterisks, to show that the document has password encryption.

5. Highlight the asterisks in the pop-up window and press the "Del" or "Backspace" key to remove them. Click "OK," then click "Save" from the "File" drop-down menu to save the document without a password.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have the password for a password-protected Word document, you can download a third-party application designed to remove or retrieve the password.

• If you did not create the password-protected Word document, attempt to contact the person that did to retrieve the password for the document.

• Write down your password when you create password-protected documents and store the password in a safe place.

References

• Microsoft Office: Protect your Word 2010 Document
• Microsoft Office: Remove Password Protection from a Word Document
• Microsoft Office: Remove or Change a Password