powerpoint logo

If you want unrestricted editorial rights to a read-only PowerPoint presentation, and then you have to unlock it. The skillful news is that yous can open it in a few uncomplicated clicks. Here'southward how.

Unlock a Read-Only Presentation

In that location are two means to tell if a presentation is a read-only file. The first is if you lot come across the words "Read-Merely" afterward the championship of the presentation. The second is if y'all run across a yellow bulletin bar across the top of a presentation with a message letting you know the document has limited access.

Next to the yellow banner message will be a button that reads "Edit Anyhow." Click that push to unlock the PowerPoint.

Edit anyways

The yellow bar should disappear along with the "Read-Only" text that appeared afterward the presentation title. Your PowerPoint will now be editable.

presentation title

As the saying goes, there's more than than one way to cook an egg. The same applies to unlocking a presentation. Although this method involves a few extra steps, we wouldn't be real geeks if nosotros didn't evidence you lot how.

Beginning, open the read-only presentation and select the  "File" tab.

Select File Tab

You lot'll be moved in the "Info" menu. Here, you'll see the "Protect Presentation" selection is marked in xanthous and has a bulletin displayed next to information technology—the presentation has been marked every bit terminal to discourage any editing. Go ahead and select "Protect Presentation."

protect presentation

From the submenu, select "Mark every bit Final." Clicking this volition disengage the lock.

Mark as Final

You'll now see that the yellow banner and its accompanying bulletin side by side to the "Protect Presentation" selection disappears. The "Read-Only" text next to the presentation championship too disappears.

unlocked presentation

Why Make a PowerPoint Read-Only?

A presentation might exist locked for any of several valid reasons. For starters, people use it mainly to discourage edits; they're merely alerting recipients the presentation they've received is the final version provided by the original author. Read-only status can also forestall accidental edits caused by human error.

Making a presentation read-simply is more polite than asking people not to edit information technology than it is an actual protective measure out of your content. Withal, taking the extra steps to allow people know you don't want your content to be edited is a good thing to practice.

How to Make a PowerPoint Read-Only

Now that we know how to unlock a PowerPoint presentation and why it was likely locked in the first identify, here's how to re-enable read-only.

Open up the presentation you desire to brand read-only and select the "File" tab.

File Tab

You'll then exist in the "Info" menu. Select "Protect Presentation" to open a drib-downward menu. Click "Marking as Final."

protect the presentation

A dialogue box will then appear, letting yous know the presentation volition be marked as final and saved. Click "OK."

Microsoft warning

At present, when you send out the presentation, it volition display the "Marked every bit Final" message bar, alerting the recipients that the presentation is read-merely.

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