Disable Word Document Editing

Multi-user editing is a new feature in Microsoft Office XP. With multi-user editing, you can open a document that is locked for editing by another user.
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You can turn off multi-user editing by adding a non-zero value to the
NoPromptToForkDocuments DWORD entry in the following Microsoft Windows registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options

Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Quit Microsoft Word.
2. Run -->Regedit.
3. In Registry Editor, expand the following subkey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options

4. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.

5. In the New Value #1 box, type NoPromptToForkDocuments, and then press ENTER.

6. Right-click the NoPromptToForkDocuments entry, and then click Modify on the shortcut menu that appears.

7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. Quit Registry Editor.