Lock Your PowerPoint Presentation

You just got your creative presentation exactly right. Now you want to share it online or in your agency. But what if someone changes it? Prevent unwanted changes with PowerPoint password protection!

Password protecting PowerPoint presentations is a smart, fast, and easy way to secure your work. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to lock a PowerPoint presentation from editing. We’ll explore the steps to use password protection effectively, ensuring your slides remain unchanged.

Once you complete these steps, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your slides are safe from unwanted edits. Learning how to password protect a PowerPoint is a common-sense step that you’ll want to incorporate into your presentation-building process.

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How to Quickly Password Protect Your PowerPoint Files (Quickstart Video)

If you prefer learning through visual content, we have a short video tutorial that demonstrates how to password protect a PPT.

Note: You can either watch this screencast or follow the quick steps outlined below that complement the video.

How to Lock and Protect Your PowerPoint Presentation

Using PowerPoint password protection is crucial for keeping your files safe. With the ease of global sharing, it can be too simple for someone to edit or change your slides. Therefore, knowing how to password protect your PowerPoint slides is essential for maintaining control over your presentation.

In this quick tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process using the Be PowerPoint Presentation Template from Envato Elements. It’s recommended to download it for a better understanding as you follow along.

This tutorial is based on Microsoft 365 on a Windows operating system. If you’re using a different version of PowerPoint or an alternative operating system, your steps may vary slightly.

1. Launch the Info Menu

The first step in learning how to password protect your PPT begins in PowerPoint’s Info menu. This area serves as the command center for security settings in PowerPoint.

Start by locating the File menu in the upper left corner of the PowerPoint ribbon and click on it.

In the sidebar menu that appears on the left, click on Info. This will open the Info menu on your screen.

2. Lock PowerPoint from Editing with a Strong Password

Once you are in the Info menu, look for the Protect Presentation option in the middle section. Click on Protect Presentation to proceed with the password protection process.

From the dropdown list, select Encrypt with Password. A pop-up menu will appear where you can enter a strong password. After typing your password, re-enter it for confirmation and click OK.

3. Open Slides to See PowerPoint Password Protection

At this point, anyone attempting to open your slides will be greeted with a password prompt. Before they can access the presentation, they will need to input the password you set.

You can test this by locating your saved slides and double-clicking to open them. You will be immediately prompted to enter your password.

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to password protect a PowerPoint presentation. As you can see, the process is both quick and straightforward.

4. Optional: Mark PowerPoint Slides as Final

In addition to password protection, there’s an optional feature that can help discourage edits: Mark as Final.

To utilize this feature, go back to the File > Info tab and click on the Protect Presentation dropdown. Choose Mark as Final from the options. This action will set your PPT slides to Read Only, which means that others will not be able to edit them without saving a new copy.

While this feature does not provide the same security as a password, it can serve as a useful alternative for ensuring your presentation remains unchanged.

Start Password Protecting PowerPoint Slides Today

In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to password protect your PowerPoint deck. With just a few clicks, you can secure your files against unwanted changes, keeping your work safe and protected.

Begin with a stunning PowerPoint slide deck from Envato Elements, build your slides, and implement the lock features to ensure security. Don’t overlook the importance of PowerPoint password protection—put your newly acquired skills to use today!

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in September 2017 and has been reviewed and updated for accuracy and relevancy by Andrew Childress.