DOC file - only 1 user to be able to open it

[Romulus]

Hello all,

I have a Word file (DOC extension). Is there possible to set the file somehow to allow only 1 user to open it ?

Few details: let us assume that I send the file to a certain user 1 ( file is password protected, without the password file content cannot be seen). User 1 uses the file as he/she wants.

If the file is sent by user 1, to any other user (we can call it user 2), the other user must receive on open a simple message: You are not allowed to view this file, then Word shall quit.

We can call it 1 time use file. This can maybe be achieved by reading/using MAC address of the hardware used to read the file (it can be a computer, or a laptop, or a phone, or a tablet, etc.).

Can all these be achieved through Word VBA ?

Thank you in advance.

Romulus.

[gmaxey]

I think your concept is dead in the water with the caveat "User 1 uses the file as he/she wants." Which would include saving it as a new file and then sharing it with whomever he/she wants."

[Romulus]

Hello Greg,

You are correct, I think I missed the part related to blocked "Save as...". Perhaps, the file name does not matter too much, my idea was about blocking the opening of the file on a device having different MAC address, in comparison with the MAC address of the device that the file was opened on, for the first time. Of course, the MAC address of the device I use shall not be considered.

Is there possible to find a solution, somehow ?

Or, is there other possibility, apart from the one with MAC address ?

Thank you again.

Romulus.

[gmayor]

It has always been the case that if you allow someone to see a document, then that document is theirs to do with as they wish. (That is equally true for video material and audio material). If it was possible to find a way to prevent this then the media industry alone would reward you beyond your wildest dreams of avarice. It isn't going to happen, because it is not possible to do so. Your MAC address idea is a non starter. How are you going to get the document to read the MAC address, if the user doesn't allow macros? How are you going to force the user to run the macro? Anything you put in place can be easily worked around (some a bit less easily than others, but none infallible).

[Romulus]

Hello Graham,

Thank you for your feedback. In order to have the macros allowed, instead of a DOC file (as I wrote in my first message), we can consider a DOCM file. Is this a better idea ?

I know it will not be perfect, but at least I will try. Can you help ?

Thank you once again.

Romulus.

[gmaxey]

Doc or docm is not going to get any closer to something that can't be done.