VSS
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locking filesi have to transfer a load of files to a third party and wish to do it in such a way that the third party can access the files to look at them and use them for reference but not actually add to them or ammend them.
I guess that for text documents and publications i can do this by transfering them as pdf files, but is there a way this can be done for files in excel and access?
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JB
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Ctrl P + stamp ? 
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JB
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Or more seriously in excel you can "protect" cells, sheets and books. Can't remember how to do it but google for ptoect / excel should find something.
In access you should be able to password a file for read only.
In either of these it would still be possible to copy the contents to a new database or spreadsheet and then alter them.
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RichardW
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PDF's can be amended too.
Send as a graphic file?
Justme
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Shane
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| JB wrote: | | Or more seriously in excel you can "protect" cells, sheets and books. Can't remember how to do it but google for ptoect / excel should find something. |
Tools -> Protection
Unfortunately, everyone I know also has the .xla plug-in that cracks said passwords 
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VSS
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the chap that these files are going to - i would be speechless if he had anything that would enable him to crack passwords.
for the pdfs i have set them to allow printing but no changes without the master password.
given that i suspect he will only have pretty basic software, will they be fairly safe?
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vegplot
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It's very difficult not to prevent amendment as there is always some way that someone could open and manipulate files. For instance Serif PagePlus can edit PDF's by readin the structure then exporting it again.
If you want the most secure method then a screen shot is pretty effect as JustMe says.
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gil
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Could you not resort to the old method of printing them out and sendng them to him by post ?
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RichardW
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| vegplot wrote: | | If you want the most secure method then a screen shot is pretty effect as JustMe says. |
And taken to the extream a photo editor will soon sort that out lol
Justme
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VSS
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| vegplot wrote: | For instance Serif PagePlus can edit PDF's by readin the structure then exporting it again.
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yes. i know about pageplus - i use it myself and the ability it has to allow manipulation of pdfs has been very useful from time to time.
how about if text files inserted into pageplus were exported as jpgs? i think though, this might be going a bit too far. i just don't want to make it easy for him to change any of the work i have done.
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JB
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Reality check!
How likely is it that they would want to edit them, how likely is it that they would be able to break a basic level of protection, how much time do you want to spend on this?
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Barefoot Andrew
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Just to echo all sensible comments above, anyone who knows what they're doing will bypass all the protection methods listed here in about 5 seconds. In other words, don't bother.
If you want to protect yourself in terms of proving a particular version of a document existed at a certain time, that's a different story.
A.
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