Setting a password protection on a document

[Songbird4Him]

Welcome beginner. Please answer all of the questions below which may provide information necessary to answer your question.
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Which version of OpenOffice.org are you using?
What Operating System (version) are you using?
What is your question or comment?
I am using openoffice 2.0 with a Linux operating system. I unable to figure out how to password protect a document when I try and save it. I can see the password written faintly on the bottom right hand side but I am unable to click on it. I have also made changes to a microsoft word document that was password protected and now with the changes I am unable to password protect this document now. It was password protected before the changes. I would appreciate any input on either of these situations. Thank you. Songbird4Him

[kingfisher]

When you first save a file or use File >Save As, there is an option in the bottom left corner of the dialogue to "Save with password". You can save with a password when saving to the ODF format but not when saving as a MS Office format.

[floris v]

Warning: make very sure that you remember your password. If you forget it, you can say good-bye to that file.

[Songbird4Him]

Thank you for the reply but the little box and the words password protect are faint and not an option even when saving as an open document format. I have never had this problem with microsoft word and I am new to openoffice. I am still seeking any ideas.

[Dave]

I have never had this problem with microsoft word

Isn't that strange? I never had that problem with OpenOffice, but had all sorts of difficulties with Microsoft Word, which is why I now use OpenOffice regularly for my needs. One major problem occurs when a person uses one software for the production an another for the translation.

If you can upload the [password unprotected] file here we might be able to take a better look as to the reason. Transferring information from one format to another, and from one platform to another in this day and age of the complexity of programs, I find it a wonder of programming abilities that there is any compatibility at all.

David.

[Phil]

Well, David, I think you paint a rather gloomy picture of compatibility between MS Office and OpenOffice.
After all, it's not that bad!

It is bad what concerns password protection, but the simple reason is the bad implementation of MS. OpenOffice does not want to get users to believe their documents are safely protected when in fact they aren't. This is why there is no compatibility mode to MS Office concerning password protected documents.

Still, that does not solve the problem of Songbird4Him, which BTW is not a MS Office compatibility matter:

the little box and the words password protect are faint and not an option even when saving as an open document format.

It works for me, but I have both a different OOo version and a different operating system.
Maybe someone using Linux can give us a hint?

Songbird4Him, could you maybe try a newer (ideally the current) version of OOo which you can get from the official download site?

BR, phil

[floris v]

What version of Linux? Ubuntu, perhaps? Are you using the version that was shipped with Linux or did you download the real thing® from http://www.openoffice.org? Be aware that Ubuntu Linux ships/shipped with a version of OOo that doesn't always work well.

For the record, Password protection is enabled for me.

[Hagar Delest]

Weird, the Ubuntu version should have a slightly better support for MS Office file formats IIRC. But the feature may have been disabled. If your system is based on .debs, you should install the official version of OOo : [Ubuntu] Installing OOo on Debian and Co.

[Songbird4Him]

Floris v thanks I will try the download since I am using what came with linux. I am wondering what phil is referring to in regards to documents not being truly protected. Care to expand on that?

[Hagar Delest]

The MS encryption is not so good, see that thread: Password protection not supported in Office format?? And even if OOo wanted to implement the MS Office encryption, as MS Office formats are closed (no specification available), it would be very difficult by reverse engineering.

[floris v]

Care to expand on that?

It basically boils down to this: IIRC OOo allows you to open Word files that are password protected, even if you don't know the password.