Microsoft Office programs are not designed to protect their files from copying. You can deny access to individual functions in various ways (document changes, insertions, etc.) and menu items ("File", "Home", etc.), but you will not be able to protect the file itself from copying. However, there are ways out of the situation, and one of them is the use of third-party software.
Instructions
Step 1
Install the Hide Folders 2009 program (the author uses version 3.3). Open it and add the required file (or folder) to the list of protected objects. This can be done in three ways:
1. Menu item "File"> "Add to list".
2. Click on the "Add" icon (with a green cross on the background of the Windows folder), which is located under the above "File" item.
3. Press the Insert hotkey.
Step 2
The "Add Object" window will open. In the "Path or mask" input field, enter the path to the required file yourself, but it is easier to use the "Browse" button to the right of the input field. In the browser that appears, find the file and click "OK".
Step 3
The area below the path entry field contains options for protecting the file. "Do not protect" - the name speaks for itself. "Hide" - the required file will become invisible to the user. “Block” - when you try to open the file, the message “Word could not open the document because the user does not have sufficient rights. " Hide and Block is a combination of the two previous options. "Read only" - the document will be available for viewing only. But this option cannot be considered sufficient protection. The user can create a new document based on this file by clicking File> Save As, not to mention the trivial copy and paste (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V). After choosing an option, put a dot next to it and click "OK".
Step 4
If you have several protected objects, you can disable and enable protection for each at once. To do this, use the "Enable" and "Disable" buttons in the main menu. For convenience, you can pin this switch to specific buttons: Tools> Options> Hotkeys.
Step 5
Given that the program is specific, it has several settings that mask its activity. In particular, you can configure it so that it does not appear in the list of frequently opened programs. This and other spy settings can be found here: Tools> Options> Hide Traces. And the final touch - hide the program launch shortcut away from prying eyes.
