How to Change PowerPoint Presentations from Read Only to Edit
August 13, 2020
When a PowerPoint presentation is opened in read-only mode, it means that you have no right to edit it. So, how to edit a read only PowerPoint? In this article, we will show you how to change PowerPoint presentations from read only to edit mode in different cases.
Case 1: Read only PowerPoint without password to modify
If the read only PowerPoint presentation is set in Mark as Final or Always Open Read-Only mode, there is no password to protect it and it is very easy to convert read only ppt to edit mode. You just need to open it and click Edit Anyway button and then you can edit a read only PowerPoint presentation.
Case 2: Read only PowerPoint with password you remember
Sometimes when you open a PowerPoint file, a window pops up asking you to enter the password to modify. If you still remember the password to modify, you can remove the password to modify with PowerPoint's General Options. Here are the detailed steps.
Step 1: Open the PowerPoint presentation and enter the password.
Step 2: Press Ctrl + Shift + S shortcut to launch a Save as window. And then click on Tool button to open a collapse menu and select General Options.
Step 3: On General Options window, delete the password to modify and click on OK button.
Step 4: Click Save button and then click Yes to replace the original one. Finally, you have changed the PowerPoint presentation from read only to edit mode.
Case 3: Read only PowerPoint with password you have forgotten
However, if you forgot or lost the password to modify in PowerPoint presentation, you can only open it in read-only mode and can't modify it. In this case, we will guide you through two effective ways to remove the forgotten read only password to make a PowerPoint not read only.
Way 1: Unlock Read only PowerPoint in .ZIP format
Step 1: Make sure ZIP/RAR archiver software is installed on your computer and the files in File Explorer show file name extension.
Step 2: Rename the presentation's file name extension to .zip. and click Yes to continue.
Step 3: Open the .zip file and find out the presentation.xml file.
Step 4: Copy this .xml file to other location and open it with Notepad. Then find and delete the element that start with <p:modifyVerifier cryptProviderType="rsaAES" ……>.
Step 5: Save the file and copy it to the original place and replace the old one.
Step 6: Change the file name extension from .zip to .pptx or .ppt. Finally, you have succeeded in changing PowerPoint presentation from read only to edit and you can open and edit it.
Way 2: Unlock Read only PowerPoint by third-party tool
If you think that the way above is too complicated to remove password to modify from read only PowerPoint presentations, it is highly recommended to use a third-party tool, which enables you to unlock read only PowerPoint easily and quickly. Powerpoint Unprotection is such a trustworthy and powerful tool. The following steps will guide you to use this tool to change PowerPoint presentations from read only to edit.
Step 1: Download and install this tool on your computer and then launch it.
Step 2: Click on Add button to import the modifying locked *.pptx file into this tool and then click on Start button.
Step 3: Within seconds, a dialog box will pop up prompting you that the protected password has been removed successfully. Click on OK button to close it.
Step 4: Finally, you will see an unprotected version of the original file saved at the same location as the original one. You can open and edit this PowerPoint presentation without any restriction.
Notes: If you import a .pptx file, this tool will remove the password to modify directly. If you import a .ppt file, this tool will pop up a window to show the password, and then you can refer to Case 2 to change PowerPoint presentations from read only to edit.
