Restricted Editing - exceptions, more users issue

Question

Hi,

I have a word doc that needs to have restricted editing but I would like a couple of users to be able to access the doc and would like to add them as exceptions, so they don't have to enter the password every time they need to edit or save the doc.  When I click on 'more users' a box pops up and asks me to enter the user's names.  I have tried entering the email addresses but I just get an error message that says 'some of the users you have entered could not be added to the list because their names could not be verified'.

I have watched several videos on how to add exceptions and Im following the process from what I can see but still can't get it to work.

I can't find anything that refers to the example at the bottom of the 'add users' dialogue box and am not clear what info to put in in order to follow what the example says.  All the videos just show people typing in an email address and it all working fine.

Please can someone offer some advice

Answer 1

It looks like the correct link, to me. But the article says, "RMS Client 2.1 is software designed for your client computers to help protect access to and usage of information flowing through applications that use RMS services in Azure Information Protection and AD RMS on-premises," which suggests that installing the client won't suffice.  :-(

Answer 2

Information Rights Management requires installation to be used. Sorry, I have never tried it myself, so I don't know how it works.

It would probably be easier to make use of a password for editing the document, as you suggested initially.

Answer 3

The way I understand it, you can only use user names or e-mail addresses in that dialog box if Information Rights Management has been enabled; see https://support.office.com/en-us/article/information-rights-management-in-office-c7a70797-6b1e-493f-acf7-92a39b85e30c.

You may be able to do something similar if documents are stored on a SharePoint site.

Answer 4

Thanks Stefan,

The reason I want to restrict editing permissions (rather than password to open) is so that anyone can open and view the doc but only certain people can edit.  I was trying to find a way around having to put in a password every time myself and the other editors want to make an update. 

Is the only way to do this to install and implement IRM?  Is this the right link?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=38396

Sounds like its not as easy as I was hoping or as easy as any of the video tutorials I watched made it out to be...

Answer 5

Thanks Stefan,

I've had a look at the link but the options / method described aren't available to me.  On the page you sent, where it says 'Restrict permissions to content in a file' I have tried to follow the numbered sequence but I stumble at point 3; when I click on Info>protect document I don't get the 'restrict permissions by people' option and therefor can't follow any of the rest of the instructions.

I've attached an image to show what is available when I try to follow the sequence and get to point 3.  If I click on restricted editing, it takes me back to the dialogue in the main word doc (where I have tried but failed to add users).  I don't know where to find the 'Permissions' dialogue that it refers to.

Any advice very welcome :)