Unprotect sections in a word document using VBA

dyb · #1 02-15-2022, 09:56 AM

I have a word document template which is protected and want to unprotect some of the individual sections in the document so that the text can be edited. I found an old post on VBA express by Greg Maxey that almost does what I want but it is for unprotecting the sections to allow Form Field data entry.

Sub ScratchMacro()
'A basic Word macro coded by Greg Maxey
Dim oFld As FormField

ActiveDocument.Unprotect
ActiveDocument.Protect wdAllowOnlyReading
For Each oFld In ActiveDocument.Sections(2).Range.FormFields
oFld.Range.Editors.Add wdEditorEveryone
Next
lbl_Exit:
Exit Sub

End Sub

How would I adapt this to work for text in the sections as this is not a form so does not use form fields.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

gmayor · #2 02-15-2022, 10:06 PM

If it is not protected for forms, how is the document protected?

dyb · #3 02-16-2022, 01:56 AM

The template is protected as read only and has bookmarks that populate the data required from a userform. The userform code unprotects the document to allow the userform data to be input but I need it to then protect it but leave two different sections available to edit.

gmayor · #4 02-16-2022, 04:52 AM

Frankly I would use content controls for this. You could swap the bookmarks for content controls ( Insert Content Control Add-In will do this) and leave the parts you want editable marked as editable. With regard to your other query you can insert a picture into a picture content control or a rich text content control and you can choose to lock the controls filled from your userform that you don't want editing.

The following code will write a text string to a content control.

Code:

Public Sub FillCC(strCCTitle As String, strValue As String, bLock As Boolean)
'Graham Mayor - https://www.gmayor.com - Last updated - 03 Sep 2021
Dim oCC As ContentControl
    On Error GoTo lbl_Exit
    For Each oCC In ActiveDocument.ContentControls
        If oCC.Title = strCCTitle Then
            oCC.LockContents = False
            oCC.Range.Text = strValue
            oCC.LockContentControl = True
            If bLock = True Then oCC.LockContents = True
            Exit For
        End If
    Next oCC
lbl_Exit:
    Set oCC = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End Sub

The following will write your userform image to a rich text content control

Code:

Private Sub UserFormImageToCC(strCCTitle As String, oImage As Object, bLock As Boolean)
'Graham Mayor - https://www.gmayor.com - Last updated - 16 Feb 2022
Dim oCC As ContentControl
Dim oRng As Range
Dim TempFile As String
Dim FSO As Object
    Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    TempFile = Replace(FSO.GetTempName, "tmp", "bmp")
    SavePicture oImage, TempFile
    With ActiveDocument
        On Error GoTo lbl_Exit
        For Each oCC In ActiveDocument.ContentControls
            If oCC.Title = strCCTitle Then
                oCC.LockContents = False
                oCC.Range.Text = ""
                Set oRng = oCC.Range
                oRng.InlineShapes.AddPicture _
                        FileName:=TempFile, LinkToFile:=False, _
                        SaveWithDocument:=True
                oCC.LockContents = bLock
                Exit For
            End If
        Next oCC
    End With
    Kill TempFile
lbl_Exit:
    Set FSO = Nothing
    Set oRng = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End Sub

The following will protect all of your document except for the content controls listed - here "Title 1" and " Title 2".

Code:

Sub MakeReadOnly()
Dim oCC As ContentControl
Dim oRng As Range
Const sPassword As String = ""
    If Not ActiveDocument.ProtectionType = wdNoProtection Then
        ActiveDocument.Unprotect Password:=sPassword
    End If
    For Each oCC In ActiveDocument.ContentControls
        Select Case oCC.Title
            Case Is = "Title 1", "Title 2"
                oCC.LockContents = False
                oCC.Range.Text = ""
                Set oRng = oCC.Range
                oRng.Editors.Add (wdEditorEveryone)
            Case Else
        End Select
    Next oCC
    ActiveDocument.Protect Type:=wdAllowOnlyReading, NoReset:=True, Password:=sPassword
lbl_Exit:
    Set oCC = Nothing
    Set oRng = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End Sub

Or if you simply want to protect sections - here sections 2 & 3 then

Code:

Sub MakeReadOnly2()
Dim oSection As Section
Dim oRng As Range
Const sPassword As String = ""
    If Not ActiveDocument.ProtectionType = wdNoProtection Then
        ActiveDocument.Unprotect Password:=sPassword
    End If
    For Each oSection In ActiveDocument.Sections
        Select Case oSection.Index
            Case Is = "2", "3"
                Set oRng = oSection.Range
                oRng.Editors.Add (wdEditorEveryone)
            Case Else
        End Select
    Next oSection
    ActiveDocument.Protect Type:=wdAllowOnlyReading, NoReset:=True, Password:=sPassword
lbl_Exit:
    Set oSection = Nothing
    Set oRng = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End Sub

dyb · #5 02-16-2022, 07:49 AM

Hi Graham

Thank you for those - you have been incredibly helpful and I am most appreciative.

I have used the protect sections option as using content controls wouldn't work for this template. It is a legal contract for training where we do not want users to have the ability to add free text but there are a couple of clauses that may need to be deleted/amended if not applicable to a specific contract so just leaving those clauses unprotected was the best option for us.

Many thanks for your help.

gmayor · #6 02-17-2022, 01:43 AM

Users cannot add text to content controls that have their contents locked.

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