Paula Cheung, technical writer focused on multimedia software tools and tips.
MS PowerPoint is vital for today’s teachers and students to create courses, conveying speeches, compose homework and designing learning games for interactive communication in class. As major users of PowerPoint, the school staff would rather their presentation works be protected than be edited or modified without permission. Their question is, how to make a school PowerPoint file read-only? In viewing to that, here comes my how-to tip with an exact introduction to 5 methods of turning a school presentation read only.
How to Make a School PowerPoint Presentation Read-only
1. Set the PowerPoint file property as "Read Only"
2. Enable "Password" feature and save as PPS, PPSX
3. Mark the PowerPoint file as Final in PowerPoint 2007
4. Burn the PowerPoint file to read-only storage media like CD, DVD
5. Convert the PowerPoint file to read-only video
1. Set the file property as "Read Only"
This is the primary practice of Read Only, originally meaning that users can open and read the file, but cannot modify or change it.
To set a school PowerPoint file as Read Only, do the following steps:
b. Locate the file and right-click on it to select Properties.
c. Click on Read Only. Then click OK.
Cons: The PowerPoint file is still editable when the "Read Only" option gets unchecked. Obviously, such "Read Only" cannot protect your school presentations from prying hands.
2. Enable "Password" feature and save as PPS, PPSX
It’s simple to password protect your school presentation with "Password" feature in PowerPoint. You can also password protect a Word document with the same steps. See details in my previous post How to Password Protect a PowerPoint 2003/2007 File
Then, save the password-protected PowerPoint file as PPS or PPSX. The next time the file opens, it displays automatically as a slideshow. Anyone who views the slideshow and wants to edit any portion of the file would change the *.pps or *.ppsx extension back to *.ppt or *.pptx. Even doing that without difficulty, the user needs to know the password of the PowerPoint file before making any alternation. If the user doesn’t enter the password, PowerPoint opens the file for viewing but won’t allow editing.
Note: Users can still edit the school PowerPoint file once obtained the modify password or a non-password protected version of the PPT file.
3. Mark your PowerPoint file as final in PowerPoint 2007
Your school presentation can be marked as final in PowerPoint 2007. The Mark as Final feature applies to protecting the presentation against further changes. Details as below:
b. A prompt message appears, saying "The presentation will be marked as final and then saved". Click OK.
c. Then follows another prompt message suggesting the result of marking the file as final, e.g., all the typing, editing commands and proofing marks will be turned off. Click OK again.
Similar to setting the file property as "Read Only", this Mark as Final status prevents users to edit the PowerPoint presentation.
Cons: The PowerPoint file can become editable again once users repeat Step A to activate the tool bars. Actually, it is not effective to prevent prying hands from stealing your school presentation works.
4. Burn your PowerPoint file onto Read-only storage media like CD, DVD
A common practice by most PowerPoint users. Burn your school PowerPoint file onto read-only storage media like CD and DVD. You can save the presentation content to a read-only CD with the "Package for CD" feature in PowerPoint 2007 or "Pack and Go" in PowerPoint 2003.
Since it is a data CD/DVD rather than an audio or video one, the school PowerPoint file is still likely to unauthorized modification once resaved to a local hard drive under a new name that removes the Read-Only status. A considerable workaround to realize real security on your school PowerPoint file, is to burn it to real CD or DVD that can playback on a CD/DVD player, with screen capturing tools like Camtasia or burning software like Moyea PPT to DVD Burner. For details on how to burn PowerPoint to CD and DVD, refer to the post "How to Burn PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) to CD or DVD" (http://www.dvd-ppt-slideshow.com/blog/how-to-burn-powerpoint-presentation-ppt-to-cd-or-dvd/)
5. Convert the PowerPoint file to read-only video
As PowerPoint is not as obedient as you expect when distributing it to others via the Web, you can finalize it in read-only video that is safer and smoother.
Tools that can help convert your school PowerPoint file to video include 3 categories: Standalone Conversion Software like Moyea PPT to Video Converter, Screen Recorders like Camtasia Studio & Adobe Captivate, and Microsoft Related Video Tools like Windows Movie Maker, Photo Story 3 & Quick Time Movie in Mac PowerPoint. Get more conversion details at "A Concise Collection of PowerPoint to Video Solutions" (http://www.dvd-ppt-slideshow.com/blog/a-concise-collection-of-powerpoint-to-video-solutions/)
Making your school presentation read only is necessary if you really care about your efforts of creation. Remember to choose an effective way that can give real protection on your very works.
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