Making a Word doc unprintable

[ibvalentine]

There doesn't seem to be a non-programmable way of making a Word doc
unprintable. Does anyone know an easy solution? Making a Word doc
unprintable?

I would appreciate an comments. Thanks!

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

There doesn't seem to be a non-programmable way of making a Word doc
unprintable. Does anyone know an easy solution? Making a Word doc
unprintable?

I would appreciate an comments. Thanks!

In descending order of effectiveness:

De-Activate Office?
Print it to PDF?
Override the Print command with a no-op macro?

 

[ibvalentine]

In descending order of effectiveness:

De-Activate Office?
Print it to PDF?
Override the Print command with a no-op macro?

--
..NET: It's About Trust!
http://vfred.mvps.org


Karl,

Thanks for your help, although I am not sure what you mean be de-activating
Office. Is that a VBA function?

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

Thanks for your help, although I am not sure what you mean be de-activating
Office. Is that a VBA function?

My understanding is you can only view, but not print, documents until Office is
activated. Seems there ought to be some way to de-activate it, no? I mean, how
does one transfer a license from one machine to another? (Yeah, that one was just
*a bit* tongue-in-cheek. <g>)

 

[macropod]

Hi,

If you're using only postscript printers, you can suppress printing via a PRINT field, of all things. Using a PRINT field coded as:
{PRINT \p page "/#copies 0 def"}
prevents pages from printing. If you want to blank pages, instead of making them unprintable, use:
{PRINT \p page "erasepage"}
on each page to be suppressed. In the body of the document, the second field will suppress everything above the field, but
everything below it will still be output. Putting such a field into the header or footer results in blank pages being printed for
all pages to which that header/footer applies, but has no effect on PDF creation.

Cheers

 

[ibvalentine]

My understanding is you can only view, but not print, documents until Office is
activated. Seems there ought to be some way to de-activate it, no? I mean, how
does one transfer a license from one machine to another? (Yeah, that one was just
*a bit* tongue-in-cheek. <g>)
--
..NET: It's About Trust!
http://vfred.mvps.org


Karl,

You're toying with me! Actually, I appreciate your replies. I do some Word
training to users, and someone emailed me this question. I am somewhat
relieved that it's not a simple thing, something I should have known when the
question was asked. I did suggest to the user that I thought that printing it
to a pdf file was the best solution and you have confirmed my answer. As far
as the no-op macro, this sounds more like a VBA based macro and not one the
you can create with the Macro Recorder (please correct me if I am wrong).
Again, thanks for your help!

 

[ibvalentine]

Hi,

If you're using only postscript printers, you can suppress printing via a PRINT field, of all things. Using a PRINT field coded as:
{PRINT \p page "/#copies 0 def"}
prevents pages from printing. If you want to blank pages, instead of making them unprintable, use:
{PRINT \p page "erasepage"}
on each page to be suppressed. In the body of the document, the second field will suppress everything above the field, but
everything below it will still be output. Putting such a field into the header or footer results in blank pages being printed for
all pages to which that header/footer applies, but has no effect on PDF creation.

Cheers

--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]
-------------------------

There doesn't seem to be a non-programmable way of making a Word doc
unprintable. Does anyone know an easy solution? Making a Word doc
unprintable?

I would appreciate any comments. Thanks!

Yes, I believe the a postscript printer is being used. I will implement your solutions (as soon as I figure out how to do it). Thanks for your help!

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

You're toying with me!

Actually, I appreciate your replies. I do some Word
training to users, and someone emailed me this question. I am somewhat
relieved that it's not a simple thing, something I should have known when the
question was asked.

Well, to the best of my knowledge that's correct -- it's not trivial -- but I'm
nowhere near as "deep" into Word as are many here.

I did suggest to the user that I thought that printing it
to a pdf file was the best solution and you have confirmed my answer.

It may be a semi-decent alternative. But I suspect there are ways around Adobe's
security, as well.

As far
as the no-op macro, this sounds more like a VBA based macro and not one the
you can create with the Macro Recorder (please correct me if I am wrong).

Yeah, it'd definitely be VBA. I'm not even entirely familiar with the process, but
as I understand it, you can intercept commands (such as Print) in order to properly
prepare things. I suspect there's a way to simply bypass the actual act itself, but
again I'm only surmising. Some of the more regulars here would have much better
details to offer.

Again, thanks for your help!

My pleasure...

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

as the no-op macro, this sounds more like a VBA based macro and not one the
you can create with the Macro Recorder (please correct me if I am wrong).
Again, thanks for your help!

Intercepting events like Save and Print
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/InterceptSavePrintContent.htm

(Psssst... Don't forget that any VBA based "solution" won't necessarily fly in
other products, such as OpenOffice, that can read DOC files!)

 

[Tony Jollans]

Yes, I think Karl was toying a little bit! - and de-activating Office is not
possible. Truth is, if you can view a document, you can print it - whether a
Word document, a PDF file, or any other type. Intercepting print commands in
Word with macros (which can be done - but not via the macro recorder)
provides a superficial barrier to printing but no more than that. PDF
protection is stronger but still fairly easy to overcome.

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

Yes, I think Karl was toying a little bit!

- and de-activating Office is not possible.

That right? How might one transfer license from one machine to another, then? Just
a total uninstall? If there were a subsequent reinstall, would that require a new
activation?

Truth is, if you can view a document, you can print it -

Yep, I think that is the bottom line, alright.

 

[Tony Jollans]

That right? How might one transfer license from one machine to another,

then? Just a total uninstall? If there were a subsequent reinstall,
would that require a new activation?

There is no user-controllable de-activation process at all and
uninstallation does not de-activate. I have read that Vista has
'functionality' built in to allow for remote de-activation by Microsoft but
have not seen any confirmation of it and do not know if this feature may
also be in Office 2007.

Reinstalling on the same machine should not present any problem. One thing
that activation does is to effectively tie software to hardware - once so
tied, legal software can be reactivated (without user intervention if
connected to the internet) any number of times on a single machine.

Activation of Windows and Office on a different machine from the original
cannot be done over the internet and must be done by telephone. I have never
done this but understand that it will be allowed with any reasonably
believable story of legal use (assuming your version has a transferable
licence) - I guess MS have more to lose than to gain by acting in any other
way - activation has a bad enough name already without them being caught
denying legal use.

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

There is no user-controllable de-activation process at all and
uninstallation does not de-activate.

So, if you were to reinstall the same bits on that machine, at a later date, it
wouldn't prompt for activation? Interesting. I guess that's just another thing to
dislike about that whole charade.

I have read that Vista has
'functionality' built in to allow for remote de-activation by Microsoft but
have not seen any confirmation of it and do not know if this feature may
also be in Office 2007.

Wouldn't surprise me a bit. Ballmer's already been quoted as ready to "tighten the
screws" because he feels that *piracy* is what's hurting Vista's sales figures.
Clueless to the end...

Activation of Windows and Office on a different machine from the original
cannot be done over the internet and must be done by telephone. I have never
done this but understand that it will be allowed with any reasonably
believable story of legal use (assuming your version has a transferable
licence)

I've never needed to call them either, and shudder at the thought of it. Gonna keep
those O2K discs in the safe-deposit box!

- I guess MS have more to lose than to gain by acting in any other
way - activation has a bad enough name already without them being caught
denying legal use.

I believe their EULAs already (attempt to) deny legal use. As do many others.

 

[Tony Jollans]

There is no user-controllable de-activation process at all and

So, if you were to reinstall the same bits on that machine, at a later
date, it wouldn't prompt for activation? Interesting. I guess that's
just another thing to dislike about that whole charade.

I guess I need to be real careful with terminology here ...

Uninstalled software remains activated in the sense that the
software/hardware combo remains known to the vendor (and, so, the software
cannot be automatically activated on different hardware) but whatever it is
on your local hardware that indicates that the software is activated goes
when you uninstall and can only be got back by reactivating when you
reinstall.

It's been a while since I installed them but I think both Vista and Office
2007 have an installation option to the effect of 'automatically activate
when internet connection is available' so that it can be (and is by default)
set to just happen. I think you must explicitly activate in earlier
versions - a trivial - if annoying - ritual.

I must admit I hate any software automatically calling the mother ship but
Microsoft don't seem quite as bad as Adobe who seem to want to check back
every time the user breathes. I think most other vendors have abandoned the,
as you say, charade.

 

[Karl E. Peterson]

I guess I need to be real careful with terminology here ...

Uninstalled software remains activated in the sense that the
software/hardware combo remains known to the vendor (and, so, the software
cannot be automatically activated on different hardware) but whatever it is
on your local hardware that indicates that the software is activated goes
when you uninstall and can only be got back by reactivating when you
reinstall.

That makes sense. More than before.

It's been a while since I installed them but I think both Vista and Office
2007 have an installation option to the effect of 'automatically activate
when internet connection is available' so that it can be (and is by default)
set to just happen. I think you must explicitly activate in earlier
versions - a trivial - if annoying - ritual.

What really bothers me about it is, where are you -- the *customer* -- left when
Microsoft decides to unplug the activation server? As a ClassicVB user, believe me,
I know what it means to be totally abandoned by them. They have absolutely no
mercy -- not a care in the world -- about you or your assets. If it isn't
convenient or strategic for them to "support" you, you're simply screwed. So, while
it may seem *at the moment* to be a trivial inconvenience, the day may very well
come when your business is effectively shuttered because Steve Ballmer sneezed in
the wrong direction.

 

[Tony Jollans]

Years ago, as far as I can tell, Microsoft made a commercial decision that
they would not support (what they saw as) legacy
applications/devices/whatever indefinitely, and have consistently stuck to
this in sometimes cavalier fashion. Coming from an IBM background where
support for anything and everything was maintained forever, this used to
horrify me but now I tend to think it was the right decision. It does have
some consequences that I don't like and it does leave a minority of
customers out in the cold - but if enough customers complain they can and do
change their mind (consider, for example, the continued support of Windows
2000). If one happens to be in a minority that is left behind one can get
all bitter and twisted, or one can rise to the new challenges - I tend to do
a bit of both <g>.

 

[Dave180]

So has the user hidden the menu/tool bars here then - or doesn't he need to
have done?

Hi,

If you're using only postscript printers, you can suppress printing via a PRINT field, of all things. Using a PRINT field coded as:
{PRINT \p page "/#copies 0 def"}
prevents pages from printing. If you want to blank pages, instead of making them unprintable, use:
{PRINT \p page "erasepage"}
on each page to be suppressed. In the body of the document, the second field will suppress everything above the field, but
everything below it will still be output. Putting such a field into the header or footer results in blank pages being printed for
all pages to which that header/footer applies, but has no effect on PDF creation.

Cheers

--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]
-------------------------

There doesn't seem to be a non-programmable way of making a Word doc
unprintable. Does anyone know an easy solution? Making a Word doc
unprintable?

I would appreciate any comments. Thanks!

Yes, I believe the a postscript printer is being used. I will implement your solutions (as soon as I figure out how to do it). Thanks for your help!