Learn how to create a read-only document in LibreOffice with this comprehensive guide.
While distributing documents, you might want to make a document read-only in LibreOffice. The primary reason could be safeguarding the document from unwanted modifications and preserving the original content. Follow along as we guide you through the steps and provide valuable insights to help you protect your important files by making them read-only in LibreOffice.
Table of Contents
How to Make Read-Only Documents in LibreOffice and OpenOffice
To make a read-only document in LibreOffice and OpenOffice, follow these steps:
- Open LibreOffice or OpenOffice: Launch the LibreOffice application on your computer. If you don’t have LibreOffice installed, you can download it from the official website and install it.
- Create a New Document: Click on the “File” menu and select “New” to create a new document. Alternatively, you can open an existing document that you want to make read-only.
- Access Document Properties: Once the document is open, click on the “File” menu again, but this time, choose “Properties” from the dropdown list. A dialog box will appear.
- Set Document as Read-Only: In the dialog box, navigate to the “Security” tab. Check the box that says “Open file read-only.” This option restricts any modifications to the document. See Fig 1.
- Optional: Set Password Protection: If you want to add an extra layer of security to your read-only document, you can set a password. In the same “Security” tab, click on the “Protect” button. Enter a strong password and confirm it. Click “OK” to save the password.
- Save the Document: After configuring the read-only settings and password protection (if desired), click on the “OK” button in the dialog box. Next, choose a location on your computer to save the document and provide a relevant filename. Click “Save” to store the document.
Next time, when you open the document, you can see the text “read-only” at the title bar of your LibreOffice window (see Fig 2). This ensures that you have successfully created a read-only document in LibreOffice or OpenOffice. The file is now protected from unauthorized modifications.
Removing the read-only mode is a little tricky and different in LibreOffice and OpenOffice. When the document is in read-only mode, the security tab will be disabled. So, you can not uncheck the field. Follow the below steps.
How to remove Read-Only from Document in LibreOffice
- Open the read-only document in LibreOffice.
- Go to the Edit menu. Select the option “Edit Mode”.
- You can also press SHIFT+CTRL+M. See Fig 4.
- You should not be able to edit the document.
How to remove Read-Only from Document in OpenOffice
- For OpenOffice, open the read-only document.
- From the standard toolbar, select the “Edit file” icon as shown in Fig 5.
- And now, you should be able to edit the read-only file.
FAQs about Making Read-Only Documents in LibreOffice
Q: Can I password-protect a read-only document in LibreOffice?
No, a read-only document in LibreOffice cannot be password-protected. The read-only status itself ensures that the document cannot be modified. However, you can password-protect a document before applying the read-only setting for an extra layer of security.
Q: Can I make specific sections of a document read-only in LibreOffice?
LibreOffice does not provide a built-in feature to make specific sections of a document read-only. The read-only setting applies to the entire document. If you need to protect specific sections, you may consider converting those sections into images or using a password-protected PDF format.
Q: How can I share a read-only document with others?
To share a read-only document with others, you can send it via email or upload it to a cloud storage service. Ensure that you inform the recipients that the document is read-only to prevent confusion. If necessary, you can also provide them with the password if you have set one.
Q: Is LibreOffice compatible with other office suites regarding read-only documents?
Yes, LibreOffice is compatible with other office suites regarding read-only documents. If you share a read-only document created in LibreOffice with someone using a different office suite (such as Microsoft Office or Google Docs), they can open and view the document without any issues.
Conclusion
LibreOffice offers a convenient way to create read-only documents, ensuring that your content remains unchanged. I hope using the steps above; you can easily make your documents read-only and safeguard them from unintended alterations.
Is this tutorial helped you? Do let me know in the comment section below.