VBA to open or save Word document Protected or Encrypted with password

Word Document Password Protection – 2 most used Methods

Yes, there are more than one methods available to password protect a Word document.

And it confused the programmers all the time about, which code to use to unprotect the document & read the content.

Here are 2 of the most used methods:

1. Document level Password with Encryption
2. Document level Protection for Editing.

Lets see each of these categories and how to deal them when we automate the process through VBA.

1.VBA Macro to Open Word Document with Password Protection

A word document can be saved with protection on & a password set for encryption. This option can be found in this menu navigation

• File -> Info -> Protect Document -> Encrypt with password
• Type password & click ok
• Save & close document

Now, everytime the word document is opened, it will ask for a password. It will only display the contents of the file, if the entered password is correct.

Well, manually you can type the password. But how to deal with these password protected files with a VBA code.

Sub openWordwithPassword()
    'Define
    Dim sFileName As String
    Dim passwd As String
    Dim oWord As Object
    Dim oDoc As Object
    
    'Init
    Set oWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
    oWord.Visible = True
    sFileName = "C:\Filepath.docx"
    passwd = "enteryourpasswordhere"
    
    'Open document using password
    Set oDoc = oWord.Documents.Open(sFileName, PasswordDocument:=passwd)
    
    'Do pocessing
    Debug.Print oDoc.Content
    oDoc.Save
    
    'Save with password
    oDoc.SaveAs Filename:=sFileName, Password:=passwd

    'Close
    oDoc.Close
End Sub

Once the document is opened using this method, its content can be edited or extracted. This is a document level password protection. In case your document is only writeprotected, then use the below method.

2. VBA Code to Unprotect Word Document – Enable Editing

The below code unprotects a word document with password for readonly. Then in the next step, you will be able to edit or read contents

Then, after processing the data, the code enables writeProtection on the document. i.,e edit is disabled & file is saved.

Sub UnprotectwordwithPassword()
    'Define
    Dim sFileName As String
    Dim passwd As String
    Dim oWord As Object
    Dim oDoc As Object
    
    'Init
    Set oWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
    oWord.Visible = True
    sFileName = "C:\Filepath.docx"
    passwd = "enteryourpasswordhere"
    
    'Open document using password
    Set oDoc = oWord.Documents.Open(sFileName, PasswordDocument:=passwd)
    If ActiveDocument.ProtectionType <> -1 Then oDoc.Unprotect passwd
    
    'Do pocessing
    Debug.Print oDoc.Content
    
    'Protect again with password
    objDoc.Protect 3, , passwd '3- - Refer end of the page for more parameters
    oDoc.Save

    'Close
    oDoc.Close
End Sub

This VBA code is very useful, then you have multiple files to be marked as readonly or protected from users editing it. It is tough to open and edit each document one by one and then enable a password.

Instead, with this process, you can place all the word documents in a folder. Then make the macro to read files one by one and enable password protection.

With document.Protect function You can use one of these parameters which serves different purpose.

-> wdProtectionType & corresponding value

• wdAllowOnlyComments = 1
• wdAllowOnlyFormFields = 2
• wdAllowOnlyReading = 3
• wdAllowOnlyRevisions = 0
• wdNoProtection = -1

External Reference:
1. Here is another related topic from Microsoft forum about Word document password protection.