Restrict Access to Microsoft Office Documents with Rights Management Service (RMS)


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The Microsoft Rights Management Service (RMS) allows you to restrict access to Microsoft Office documents to specific individuals. RMS is integrated into Microsoft Office and is available for faculty and staff. Check with the IT professional in your department for assistance in enabling RMS for your account.

Note: This service only allows UMass Amherst employees to share restricted documents with each other. If you share a document with restricted access to an individual outside of the campus community, they will not be able to open it.

Open a file with RMS restrictions

  1. Download the file. You may see a dialog box that states, "Word needs to connect to the Rights Management Services server. Do you want to continue?" Click Continue. If you are prompted for a server address, enter https://rms.ads.umass.edu.
  2. In the Username field, enter your NetID (you may also be prompted for your domain). In the Password field, enter your NetID password. The file opens.

Set RMS restrictions on a file

Microsoft Office 2013 (Windows)

  1. Go to File > Info > Protect Document > Restrict Access > Restricted Access. The Permission window opens. 
  2. Make sure the Restrict Permission to this document box is selected. Enter the email addresses of individuals who can Read or Change the document. Click ok.

Microsoft Office 2010 (Windows)

  1. Go to File > Info > Protect Document/Workbook/Presentation > Restrict Permission by People > Restricted Access. The Permission window opens.
  2. Make sure the Restrict Permission to this document box is selected. Enter the email addresses of individuals who can Read or Change the document. Click ok.

Microsoft Office 2007 (Windows)

  1. Go to File > Prepare > Restrict Permission > Restricted Access. The Permission window opens.
  2. Make sure the Restrict Permission to this document box is selected. Enter the email addresses of individuals who can Read or Change the document. Click ok.

Microsoft Office 2011 (Mac)

  1. Go to File > Restrict Permissions > Restricted Access. The Set Permissions window opens.
  2. Enter the email addresses of individuals who may Read, Change, or have Full Control of the document in the appropriate fields.

Set RMS restrictions on an email

Microsoft Outlook 2011 (Mac)

In a new email message, go to Options > Permissions > Do Not Forward.

Microsoft Outlook 2007 (Windows)

In a new email message, go to Office button > Permission > Do Not Forward.

Microsoft Outlook 2010 (Windows)

In a new email message, go to Options > Permission > Do Not Forward.

Microsoft Outlook 2013 (Windows)

In a new email message, go to Options > Permission > Do Not Forward.