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Non-editable file

8 replies [Last post]
Fri, 2010-02-19 18:23
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Hello all,
I want to sent copies of the current schedule to stakeholders and I do not want them to be able to edit any data. I want a static file. If they have any edits I want them to forward them to me.

Any ideas on how to "snapshot" a project file? Read-only files can be renamed and saved. That would allow a duplicate, editable copy to live on another’s computer.

Thanks,
Eric
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Replies

Thu, 2010-02-25 15:19
#1
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Thank you,
I’ll use the .pdf format to insure that I have the single source of record.
Be well,
Eric
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Sat, 2010-02-20 17:30
#2
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
I like staying within MSProject to "lock the file". However, using the Save As with either and both Password options did not prevent me from making changes to the emailed copy of the schedule and then changing the name and saving it to my desktop.

Read-only seems to be undone by changing the name of the file during the Save As procedure.

Would it make a difference if I wasn’t sending the file to myself for experimentation? If I created the file and set the passwords and sent a copy to my email would that prevent the password protection from taking effect?

Thanks and go well,
Eric
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Sat, 2010-02-20 09:57
#3
Rafael Davila
User offline. Last seen 17 hours 49 min ago. Offline
Joined: 1 Mar 2004
Posts: 5229
Groups: Spider Project Team
Eric,

In case you lose your passwords you can recover them with software for these purposes. The following have been useful to me.

http://www.elcomsoft.com/aopr.html
http://www.softsea.com/review/Advanced-Project-Password-Recovery.html

For PDF files recommend you use a password remover such as the following.

http://www.verypdf.com/pwdremover/index.htm

Password removers are faster than password recovery products.

There are many products out there for software that sell to a wide audience. I do not believe you will find password removers for all products, but for MS Project seems there are a few available options.

In your case if really worried about someone breaking the password I would use PDF. You could even print your reports to a graphic format and then change it to a PDF with password protection for added security.

For your knowledge if using Windows 7 and screen capture Snagit I had issues with it and have to change to FastStone Capture. These utilities you can use to change your reports to graphic format. Better than the snipping tool provided by Windows 7.

Best regards,
Rafael
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Sat, 2010-02-20 05:08
#4
Mike Testro
User offline. Last seen 6 weeks 2 hours ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 4418
Groups: Building Information Modelling, Content Moderators, GPCCAR Editors
Hi Eric

In Powerproject there is a "Book Out" facility that allows other users a pre fixed level of access for editing.

One option is View Only.

Maybe MSP has a similar function.

Best regards

Mike Testro.
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Fri, 2010-02-19 21:37
#5
Eric Redding
User offline. Last seen 12 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 24
Groups: None
Thanks,
That’s what I was planning to do. I was looking for a "turn off calculations", "locked file", or something like that within the MSP software.
Maybe another viewer will have a clue.
Go well,
Eric
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Fri, 2010-02-19 19:21
#6
Dumitru Minciu
User offline. Last seen 11 years 49 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 19 Feb 2010
Posts: 2
Groups: Civil Engineering, TILOS
Hello,

It is best to print your project in PDF format and to send it like this. This is what I did in similar situations. This way it can be used also by those that don’t have MSP installed.

Best,
MD

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