Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 19, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
When Siegfried saves documents in Word, he normally needs them saved so that they are read-only. He finds setting the read-only option each time he saves (in the Save As dialog box) to be tedious and prone to error. Thus, Siegfried wonders if it is possible to force Word to save files as read-only by default.
The short answer is that it is possible, but it will take creating a macro that changes the Save As command. The following is a very simplistic version of such a macro.
Public Sub FileSaveAs() With ActiveDocument .ReadOnlyRecommended = True .Password = "" .WritePassword = "" End With Dialogs(wdDialogFileSaveAs).Show End Sub
The macro first sets the document to be read-only, and then displays the normal Save As dialog box. Save the macro in your Normal template and it effectively replaces the default Save As command.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12232) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Saving Documents as Read-Only by Default.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
Click the Save button and you expect your document to be saved, right? What if you later discover it wasn't really saved? ...
Discover MoreWant to control the name and location of your document backup? Here are some ideas that may help.
Discover MoreSave a document for the first time, and Word helpfully suggests a filename you can use or change. If you want this ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments