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How to Unlock Password-Protected Word Documents

Authors

Locked out of making changes to a Word document by your counterparty? It's a common frustration, but there's a solution. Here's a simple guide to unlocking your Word document and regaining control.

First, ask your counterparty to send you an unlocked version of the document. Explain that you will keep track changes turned on as you review the contract, but that an unlocked file will help you make adjustments as necessary throughout the document.

Sample comment to your counterparty:

Could you please share the unlocked version of this contract? We will ensure to keep track changes turned on, but the unlocked version would help us make structural adjustments as needed.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Save the Document as an .xml File
    • Open the password-protected Word document.
    • Save it as an .xml file by selecting "Save As" and choosing the XML format from the dropdown menu.
  1. Open the .xml File in a Text Editor
    • Use a text editor like Visual Studio Code (VS Code) to open the .xml file.
    • Right-click on the file and choose "Open with Code" or use your preferred text editor.

  1. Find the Enforcement Attribute

    • Press Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on Mac) to open the search function.
    • Search for the attribute enforcement= within the XML file.

  2. Replace "1" with "0"

    • Locate the enforcement="1" attribute.
    • Change the value from 1 to 0. This effectively disables the enforcement of password protection.
  1. Save and Close the Updated Text File
    • Save the changes you made in the text editor.
    • Close the text editor after saving.
  2. Open the XML File in Word and Save as .docx
    • Open the modified .xml file in Word.
    • Save the .xml document again as a .docx file.

What's the etiquette of using Word's lock track changes feature?

The legal profession's adversarial nature often leads to a lack of trust between parties. It's an unspoken rule to run a fresh redline when receiving a contract back from the counterparty to make sure no changes have snuck in. Many legal professionals admit to having made edits without turning on tracked changes, but only a small minority do so with malicious intent.

Understandably, many legal teams decide to use the "lock track changes" feature in Word despite the recipient's frustration. Intentionally disabling functionality for your counterparties sends a message of distrust and hinders communication.

We consider it best practice to refrain from locking or protecting the document in the spirit of collaborative negotiations. Instead, maintain proper versioning to easily verify that only agreed-upon changes are included. Compare each new version to the prior one sent to the counterparty at every stage of the negotiation.