How to Unlock a Word Document for Editing with/Without Password [Simple Ways]

How do you unlock a Word document for editing with or without a password? Keep reading this article to learn more about unlocking a Word file and the best method to do so! If your Word documents get corrupted, EaseUS software supports Word document repair in a few clicks!

Microsoft lets you safeguard your document with a password. Hence, you may lock the whole document so nobody can access it without the correct password. You can prevent others from modifying the document, allowing only those who know the correct login information to gain entry to the Word document and make the required changes.

How to unlock a Word document for editing? Unlocking might be annoying, mainly when encountered with forgotten passwords or locked selections. This guide will discuss a few effective methods to unlock a Word document for editing.

2 Ways to Unlock a Word Document for Editing [with Password]

If you remember your password, then unlocking your Word document can be such an easy thing! Here are 2 methods you can refer to:

Method 1. Unlock a Word Document for Editing with a Password

You should be able to open the file with ease once you recall the password. In Word 2010 and subsequent versions, perform the following actions to turn on encrypted document viewing:

Step 1. Launch the Word file and hit "File > Protect Document".

Step 2. Select "Encrypt with password," type the password, and hit "OK" to process further.

Step 3. Opt for a "password to launch" and enter the password to unlock the file.

Another strategy to unlock a Word Doc for editing with a password is the following:

Step 1. Launch the document and hit the "Review" menu.

Step 2. If you can't see the "Restrict Editing" symbol in the ribbon, hit "Protect", and then opt for "Restrict Editing > Stop Protection".

Step 3. Type the password and hit "OK". Save the document now.

Method 2. Use TXT to Make Your Word Document Unrestricted

Go through the steps below to make your Word document unrestricted. You can also use a Word text recovery converter to fix the Word document locked issue. 

Step 1. Launch your password-protected file. Navigate to "Save As > Save as Type", and opt for "Word XML Document (*.xml)".

Step 2. Search for your new .xml file and right-click on it to launch a "TXT Editor" like "Notepad".

Step 3. Press "Ctrl + F" on your keyboard.

Step 4. Type enforcement with your "Find" dialogue box now open.

You may find w: enforcement=" 1″ or w: enforcement=" on". 

Step 5. Replace the "1" with a "0" or the "on" with an "off" to open the word file. And save & close the .xml file.

Step 6. Search your ".xml" file in the folder, right-click on it, and launch it in MS Word.

Step 7. Proceed to "File" and "Save As"; select "Word Document (*.docx)" from the available options. Hit "Save".

Consequently, you won't require a password the following time you decide to view this document. If this post is helpful, share it on your SNS to help more people learn how to unlock a Word document for editing!

Can I Unlock a Word Document for Editing Without a Password

Is the entire document locked, and have you forgotten the password? If so, the aforementioned methods won't work as you can't open the Word document! In that case, your last resort is to crack the password anyhow. Several websites and applications are available to do this for you, and you can discover them through a web search. However, using those websites at your own risk is advisable as they may be susceptible to viruses. 

Another strategy to unlock a Word document without a password is to use Google Docs. Follow the steps below:

Step 1. Launch "Google Docs".

Step 2. Access the upload option by clicking on the "Folder" icon to access the "Upload" option.

Step 3. Opt for "Upload".

Step 4. Browse and opt for the file to edit.

Step 5. Hit "download" from the "File" menu to save the file as a Word document.

Step 6. Open and edit it without a password.

By going through the steps above, you can effectively unlock & edit the Word file using Google Docs, a suitable alternative for those who have forgotten their Word document password.

Bonus Tip: How to Fix a Corrupted Word Document for Editing

Corruption problems in MS Word aren't weird at all. The more severely the file gets corrupted, the more challenging the file content can be retrieved. When you obtain a Word document error showing that a file has been damaged, you must count on the best software to open and repair Word documents.

EaseUS Fixo Document Repair is one of the best tools for fixing a corrupted Word file on your PC. This powerful file repair software conducts a quick scan to repair the loaded files instantly and lets you preview the restored files for free prior to saving them. The best features of this powerful file repair software are the following:

• Fix corrupted files in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and older versions.
• Repair the damaged Word, PDF, Excel, and invalid PDF formats.
• Fix corrupted archive files, including RAR/Zip archive files.

Follow the steps below to fix a corrupted Word document for editing:

✨Step 1.  Download, install, and launch EaseUS Fixo Document Repair

You can download this repair tool with the download button we gave you or other official ways. After the installation, you can double-click the Fixo icon to launch it. Click "File Repair" > "Add Files" to select and repair damaged Word, Excel, PDF, and other documents.

✨Step 2. Repair corrupted documents now

After adding the documents, you can click "Repair" to fix a document specifically or select "Repair All" to repair the whole files in the list altogether.

✨Step 3. Preview and save repaired documents

Now, the files are ready to be saved. You can also click the eye icon to preview the documents. After clicking "Save All", select "View Repaired" in the pop-up window to locate these repaired files.

How to Unlock a Word Document for Editing FAQs

Go through the FAQs to understand the topic better:

How do I remove the lock on a Word document?

To remove the lock on a Word document, click the "Protect Document" symbol and opt for "Encrypt with Password." Delete the current password from the password field, and hit "OK." Finally, save your file, which will open without a password requirement.  

How do you unlock a Word document that is locked for editing?

To unlock a Word document that is locked for editing, you may consider removing the password requirement by following the steps below:

• Access the document and type the password.
• Navigate the File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with password.
• Delete the password in the password box, and hit "OK".

How do I unlock edit mode in Word?

To unlock edit mode in MS Word, you may consider trying the steps below:

• Opt for "File > Info".
• Select "Protect Document".
• Opt for "Enable Editing".

Conclusion

Users often find troubleshooting a locked Word document intimidating. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be! The above are some effortless and straightforward methods that will assist in solving any issue that users might encounter. This article has demonstrated two ways to unlock a Word document with and without a password. If you have lost files while trying the fixes above, installing EaseUS Fixo Document Repair software is recommended!