# PowerPoint: Is there a way to lock the content? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 27, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067 "2003-08-27T21:09:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/1 "2003-08-27T21:09:53Z")
I have a series of PowerPoint presentations that my team at work is going to make available to salespeople and others. The idea is that they will be able to download and show each presentation, but not be able to edit it. Is that possible? Or is there a way to at least make editing difficult? Thanks for any help you can give. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/2 "2003-08-27T21:13:02Z")
Sorry, I should have included that I’m on a Windows NT machine. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/3 "2003-08-27T21:42:12Z")
From MS Word help: When you create a password, write it down and keep it in a secure place. If you lose the password, you cannot open or gain access to the password-protected document. Open the file. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Security. Do one of the following: Create a password to open In the Password to open box, type a password, and then click OK. In the Reenter password to open box, type the password again, and then click OK. Create a password to modify In the Password to modify box, type a password, and then click OK. In the Reenter password to modify box, type the password again, and then click OK. Maybe this works in PowerPoint, too. Sorry, don’t have it on this computer to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/4 "2003-08-27T21:49:44Z")
Hmm, that’s an interesting idea. Let me try that out in Ppt and I’ll post back to let you know how it worked. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/5 "2003-08-27T21:51:30Z")
Windows PowerPoint 2000 and above (2002, 2003) have Password Protection. Go to Tools | Options | Security and enable a “Modify” password. They can open the file but not alter the content. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/6 "2003-08-27T22:35:23Z")
I forgot to mention another option: If you can guarantee that the salespeople don’t have the full version of PPT installed on their machines, you can use the “Pack and Go” feature which will pack the Presentation and a copy of the PowerPoint Viewer which can then be installed and viewed (but not edited) on the destination machine. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/7 "2003-08-27T22:55:34Z")
Thanks for the ideas, **Dooku**. Unfortunately for me, all the salespeople do have full PowerPoint on their machines, so I can’t use the Pack & Go feature. I’ve tried to follow the steps you outlined above, but I think NT has screwed me again, in that I don’t have a Security choice under Tools \> Options, or anywhere else. I also checked the Help feature and there was nothing helpful when I searched for “security” and “password.” BUT! I have several coworkers on Windows 2000 and a few more on XP, so I am going to have them try it in the morning. Thanks again for the input, I’ll let you know what I find out. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/8 "2003-08-27T23:06:39Z")
Hmm. If you are in PowerPoint and going to Tools | Options but don’t see a Security tab, then you’re using PowerPoint 97 or earlier. In that case, Pack & Go is your best bet - you can set it up when installing it such that your file opens directly in the Viewer, but unfortunately it won’t prevent them from figuring out how to open it in their verion of PowerPoint for editing. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/9 "2003-08-28T16:12:45Z")
Burn the presentstions on as many CD-R’s as needed. ---
**Author:** ![aleong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@aleong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aleong)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/10 "2003-08-28T17:06:27Z")
How about creating .pdf files from the Powerpoint presentations? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/11 "2003-08-28T18:28:23Z")
Burning the CD will still allow them to save a local copy and edit it. There is no PDF Export in Windows PowerPoint. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/12 "2003-08-28T18:32:25Z")
OK, I got someone on XP to lock the content, following \*\*Dooku['b]'s suggestions. Thanks a million-- it was really helpful. **aleong** , we talked about doing that, and we might still later on. For now, though, the presentations needed to remain PowerPoint docs so that they could be shown as slides (don’t ask me exactly why, I just follow orders on this stuff, heh.). ---
**Author:** ![aleong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@aleong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aleong)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/13 "2003-08-28T18:41:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*There is no PDF Export in Windows PowerPoint. \*\* True… but if you have Adobe Writer on your computer you could do it. ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/14 "2003-08-28T18:53:15Z")
How about saving it as a Powerpoint show? If they double click it gets opened in presentation mode. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/15 "2003-08-28T20:11:57Z")
Even if you use Abode Writer, it would not be a PPT file so you wouldn’t be able to use Slide Show - no animations, no hyperlinks, no transitions, no sounds, no movies, etc. You can open any PPS (PowerPoint Show) in Edit mode and make changes. Glad you got it going, **Beadalin**. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/16 "2003-08-28T20:27:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beadalin \* > For now, though, the presentations needed to remain PowerPoint docs so that they could be shown as slides (don’t ask me exactly why, I just follow orders on this stuff, heh.). Ah, but that’s the beauty of it. You actually CAN make a PDF slideshow, complete with fades and blends and everything else. Since it is PDF, it is a real pain to edit - and you can put password protection on it, too. There are options in the PDF format that let you do that kind of thing, and Acrobat can present them. As an automatic slide show or flipping back and forth. There was an article about doing just that kind of thing with Ghostscript in a magazine I read in the last few months, but I can’t find it - and it may have been under Linux with different software creating the slideshow in the first place. Fact is, though, that Acrobat can present a PDF as a slide show. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/17 "2003-08-28T20:30:49Z")
Sorry. That wasn’t terribly clear. I think I saw a way to do this with Powerpoint, but it may have been a Linux program. I can’t find it now and I’m kind of pissed. I can’t remember if it was one of my Linux mags or CT. If it was CT, then they were probably talking about powerpoint, else it was some Linux stuff. At any rate, if you cannot do it with Powerpoint, then it is a Powerpoint problem because the PDF format supports it and Acrobat will display it. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/18 "2003-08-28T20:53:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mort Furd \* > At any rate, if you cannot do it with Powerpoint, then it is a Powerpoint problem because the PDF format supports it and Acrobat will display it. Can you explain what you mean by this? What does PDF “support” exactly that PowerPoint does not? As a PowerPoint Developer I’m eager to understand what you mean. > [@](#): > > Fact is, though, that Acrobat can present a PDF as a slide show. You certainly _cannot_ mirror the Slide Show layer using PDF format exclusively. PDF does not support Quartz, OpenGL, TWIP conversion, PDI, Timings, Transitions, Graph Animations, OLE object support, ActiveX controls, Recorded Narrations, Path Animations, Emphasis Animations, Triggers, Logical Ordering, etc. You may be able to “mimic” the Slide Show layer by performing very basic Flying or Pushing animations, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/19 "2003-08-28T21:10:27Z")
I’m not being terribly clear tonight, am I? What I meant was that if you cannot create a slideshow PDF from a PPT then it is not because PDF lacks the facilities to do a slideshow, it is because Powerpoint doesn’t export the slideshow using those features of the PDF format. I’ll grant without argument that you may (and probably will) not be able to duplicate with a PDF all of the things you can do with a Powerpoint slideshow. I would, however, argue that the average salesman will have a harder time editing a PDF and that you can still create an effective slideshow as PDF. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067/20 "2003-08-28T21:14:08Z")
I think I’d better bow out of this thread before I start talking about the “necessity” of some of the features of Powerpoint that you’ve named. I am very much a minimalist, and take an active dislike to products that are presented with too much smoke and drum rolls. Sorry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerpoint-is-there-a-way-to-lock-the-content/198067.md?page=2)