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Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Password protect data files for merge documents in WordPerfect

I don't know why WordPerfect doesn't allow users to password protect .dat files by default. Is this a bug? I can't imagine. For whatever reason, when you save a .dat file, the place to check off password protect is grayed out.

Roger@MHA made a comment on Password protecting files as follows:

I recently "upgraded to Word Perfect 12" Small Business Edition.
I can no longer password protect data files. After following WP tech support advice to UNINSTALL WP and reinstall, several hours later I was told Oops. WP12 can not password protect a .dat (merge data) file. NOW What? I need to protect a lot of sensitive data in the data files.

Fortunately, there is a workaround for this. I don't know if "work around" is the correct terminology, but that's what I'm calling it.

  • In the main menu bar, click Tools
  • At the very bottom of the list, click Settings
settings.gif
  • Click Files. In the tabs at the top, click Merge/Macro
file_settings_merge_macro.gif
  • Deselect the checkmark from "Use default data file extension on open and save"
  • Click OK, then Close the settings window

And, voila. You will now be able to save your data file with any extension, including .dat, and be able to have it password protected.

Roger, I don't know who you are or where you are, but thank you so much for asking this question. I hope this is helpful to you. As for your second question about index files, I'm looking into and will get back to that later.

Related entries:

  1. Password protecting files
  2. Open a password protected file in WordPerfect

• Posted by: Marie Carnes at 05:59 PM
• 263 words in this article
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• Filed in: Tips - WordPerfect

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