How is it best to create a word file to protect the content from editing and enable it to be searchable for content?

Unless you have an articulable reason for using the 64-bit version of Office, you should be using the 32-bit version. Having a 64-bit operating system is not such a reason. There are known compatibility problems with the 64-bit version of Office. There are no known benefits to using Word as a 64-bit application. Some very large and complex Excel spreadsheets run better in the 64-bit version. As far as I know, it is all or nothing as far as Office version goes.

That doesn't address your question, though. It depends on what you mean by uneditable. A basic rule is that anything that can be seen can be copied. Anything that can be copied can be edited. All you can do is make it harder.

An easy way to make it harder to edit a text file that can be searched is to convert it to a searchable pdf and apply protection to the pdf. This requires Acrobat or a similar strength pdf generator.

For most purposes, simply saving the document in the PDF format (via Save As - you don't need Acrobat Pro) is sufficient to allow viewing but prevent editing. As Charles points out though, in general terms, if someone can read a document they can copy then change it.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Also in Word 2010 you can, under the developer tab, restrict editing. If you don't see the developer tab read Developer Tab in Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010.

Click on the Restrict Editing button and select the default.


That default is No Changes (Read-Only). This will be searchable text using Find. It will not be able to be saved in .doc format with the protection. I don't know if Word 2003 with the converter will be able to read it.

You can set a password (don't lose it). Again, this is minimal protection. A knowledgeable user can get around it in less than 2 minutes. There aren't that many knowledgeable users but an internet search would probably turn up how to do it in less than a day.