How to Lock PowerPoint Presentation from Editing?
Protecting sensitive presentations is important to keeping your data safe. You can password-protect PPTs, but this will restrict access to the contents of the presentation. Is there any way to lock PowerPoint presentations from editing?
This method is useful when you want the viewers to view the slides’ contents but don’t want them to edit the slides.
With the basic security settings related to restricted editing, you can only notify readers about restricted editing rights. However, this will not restrict the editing function. With simple steps, readers can edit the slides of an editing-locked presentation.
Restricted Editing vs Password Protection
All readers understand how password protection works for any digital tool, asset, or product. Only authorized individuals with a valid security code or password can access or edit the files. Locked PPT will require every user to have a valid password.
When you are sharing a presentation with a large audience, say thousands of users, locking PPTs with a password does not seem right. In these situations, the presenter can lock the PowerPoint presentation from editing.
When a new user opens the presentation, a prompt notifies the user that the presentation is complete and that no changes should be made to the slides. In simple words, this option only discourages editing for the final PPT while entirely locking out unauthorized readers and users.
Lock a PowerPoint Presentation from Editing
There are different settings in PowerPoint to prevent random users from accessing, editing, and viewing your slides. In this section, we will explore the method for locking a PowerPoint presentation from editing.
Step 1: Access Info from the File
Open a new or existing PowerPoint presentation, go to File, and then click on the Info button.
Step 2: Open the Protect Presentation Option
When you click Info, choose the Protect Presentation option from the right pane. This will open a new dropdown menu.
Choose the Mark as Final option from the menu. Click in the new pop-up window, and your presentation will be marked as final.
The new screen will show what it means to mark a presentation as final.
How do you edit the “Marked as Final” presentation?
Now, you will see a message related to editing restrictions. Readers will see that the author has marked this presentation as final, and no further changes should be made to it.
If you want to change the presentation, click the “Edit Anyway” button from the message bar. Now, you can access, view, and edit the presentation like any other.
Other Ways to Protect a Presentation
In the Info tab, there are other options related to protecting your presentation and the content of slides. The Protect Presentation feature offers different options, including:
- Always Open Read-only
- Encrypt with Password
- Add a Digital Signature
When you set a password for the presentation, make sure to write it somewhere safe. Losing the password will lock the presentation, and you won’t be able to access it without it.
Adding a Watermark to the Presentation
This method protects your data against unauthorized usage of data and adds to the brand value. You can view the detailed guide on adding a watermark to the presentation slides in our blog section.
A slide with your company’s watermark helps viewers remember your brand, product, or company by its logo. A watermark for the slides can be the company logo, name, or any text that makes your brand unique.
Making Several Presentations as an Instructor
Instructors and teachers usually protect their presentations so that only the relevant users and students can access and view the information. If you offer paid training, you can set a password for the tutorial presentation. Students who pay the fee can access the presentations to learn more about the topic.
Have you ever wondered how these instructors create hundreds of presentations on different topics? Creating a professional presentation can take a few hours for a normal user.
Instructors put a lot of effort into creating these courses and learning materials. But there is a hidden trick that most instructors use to create several presentations: They use AI for presentations.
Create Unlimited PPTs with AI
You can create a complete presentation from scratch with AI, like writing an article with ChatGPT. You only need to add the Twistly Add-in for PowerPoint. Once installed, this add-in offers an interactive interface to create presentations:
- From the topic or prompt
- From the YouTube video link
- From an article or text
- From an uploaded Doc or PDF file
As you enter the prompt, Twistly creates the outline. The user selects the right template, and then AI adds relevant images, visuals, and other elements. This whole process takes less than a few minutes, and you get a complete PPT.
If you create presentations for business, marketing, or the office, you can use Twistly for free with a trial version and unlock its full potential once you upgrade to the full version. Get your subscription to Twistly and your ChatGPT for PowerPoint today.
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Final Verdict
You can lock a PowerPoint presentation from editing, but readers can still edit the slides anyway. Use password protection for sensitive data. If you are wondering how to create unlimited presentations with AI, try Twistly, and you won’t have to worry about wasting time on boring PPTs anymore.