How can I set a password for Visio files? - passwords

Question

I want to put a password on the files so no one can open without their permission

Answer 1

It appears the short answer is not unless you have password protection for zip files.
You can however test some vba code and play with visibility. It won't guarantee security of your document because Visio doesn't have flexibility to save as a Macro-Enabled drawing... limiting your ability to really secure it with VBA.
You could however pique the confusion of the undesired user reading/viewing by having all of your pages hidden... Security by obscurity if you will.... Unless they enable macros, they can still ideally do anything they want with the document which Is why you should use encrypted zip software and password protect the document that way.
Anyway... if you're still game for this crazy experiment I tried...
Enabled developer view. Then go into View Code. So here's how this works... First you need to generate your password hash. Then once your password hash is created... Delete the entire
Copy all the main sub, the temporary sub, and the core subs and functions below to your "ThisDocument" object in the developer > View Code page
Set your password by entering your password in place of "Mypassword" in the GenMyPwd sub. You can execute it by leaving your curser in the text of that sub and clicking the "run" button at the top of the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications menu.
Once you see the pop-up, press Ctrl+V and paste the content to notepad. You'll get something to this effect.
---------------------------
Your Password Hash
---------------------------
78F56C460A6CA4B15554E5FE5469AA036FB21EFA7151E991D6F9A9FDA4548F79
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------
Once you have your hash, set the variable in the private for your own unique hash value.
mypassword = "78F56C460A6CA4B15554E5FE5469AA036FB21EFA7151E991D6F9A9FDA4548F79"
One caveat though, you'll have to create a button for your HidePages Script... or create a key-capture event for a hotkey combination and use it add some additional vba code to Save, HidePages, and then close visio.
Main Sub to capture open document event. - Will look like this before you set your variable
Private Sub Document_DocumentOpened(ByVal doc As IVDocument)
Unauthenticated = True
myPassword = ""
Do While Unauthenticated
'Add number of tries
tries = tries + 1
'Prompt Password
TryPassword = InputBox("Enter the password", "Password Required!")
'Hash Password attempt and compare to Current Hash
If Sha256Hash(TryPassword) = myPassword Then
'Escape the loop
Unauthenticated = False
Call ShowPages
Else
If ((tries > 2) And (Unauthenticated = True)) Then KillVisio
End If
Loop
End Sub
Main Sub After you set your variable
Private Sub Document_DocumentOpened(ByVal doc As IVDocument)
Unauthenticated = True
myPassword = "6DA6F219DAC977DA75F2F2894F33ABAD5052AF2A60AE9219AF0E302EDDD5BBC4"
Do While Unauthenticated
'Add number of tries
tries = tries + 1
'Prompt Password
TryPassword = InputBox("Enter the password", "Password Required!")
'Hash Password attempt and compare to Current Hash
If Sha256Hash(TryPassword) = myPassword Then
'Escape the loop
Unauthenticated = False
Call ShowPages
Else
If ((tries > 2) And (Unauthenticated = True)) Then KillVisio
End If
Loop
End Sub
Additional Required Subs and functions
Sub KillVisio()
Set WShshell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
strcommand = "C:\windows\system32\taskkill /im visio.exe -f"
WShshell.Run ("cmd /c " & strcommand)
End Sub
Sub GenMyPwd()
MsgBox Sha256Hash("P#ssw0rd"), vbExclamation, "Your Password Hash"
End Sub
Sub ShowPages()
Set vPages = ThisDocument.Pages
For i = 1 To vPages.Count
Set Visibility = vPages(i).PageSheet.CellsU("UIVisibility")
If Visibility = 1 Then
Visibility.FormulaU = 0
End If
Next
End Sub
Sub HidePages()
Set vPages = ThisDocument.Pages
For i = 1 To vPages.Count
Set Visibility = vPages(i).PageSheet.CellsU("UIVisibility")
If Visibility = 0 Then
Visibility.FormulaU = 1
End If
Next
End Sub
Function Sha256Hash(str)
Dim b() As Byte
b = str
Sha256Hash = BytesToHex(Sha256HashBytes(b))
End Function
Function MD5HashBytes(aBytes)
Set objsha256 = CreateObject("System.Security.Cryptography.MD5CryptoServiceProvider")
s = objsha256.Initialize()
MD5HashBytes = objsha256.ComputeHash_2((aBytes))
End Function
Function Sha256HashBytes(aBytes)
'Set objsha256 = CreateObject("System.Security.Cryptography.MD5CryptoServiceProvider")
Set objsha256 = CreateObject("System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256Managed")
With objsha256
s = .Initialize()
Sha256HashBytes = .ComputeHash_2((aBytes))
End With
End Function
Function StringtoUTFBytes(aString)
Set UTF8 = CreateObject("System.Text.UTF8Encoding")
StringtoUTFBytes = UTF8.GetBytes_4(aString)
End Function
Function BytesToHex(aBytes)
For x = 1 To LenB(aBytes)
hexStr = Hex(AscB(MidB((aBytes), x, 1)))
If Len(hexStr) = 1 Then hexStr = "0" & hexStr
BytesToHex = BytesToHex & hexStr
Next
End Function

Answer 2

Visio 2016 includes Rights Management support. This feature basically allows you to protect the document and specify who can do what with that document.
Maybe that is what you are after?