Install and Open MyPassRecovery on macOS

MyPassRecovery for macOS is currently distributed without Apple notarization. macOS Gatekeeper may therefore block the downloaded app or display an alert such as “MyPassRecovery” is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash. On a Chinese-language Mac, the same warning may appear as “MyPassRecovery” 已损坏，无法打开。您应该将它移到废纸篓。 A similar alert can also mean that an app is genuinely incomplete, corrupted, or modified, so do not bypass the warning automatically.

Safety Check Before You Continue

  1. Download MyPassRecovery only from the official MyPassRecovery website or a download link supplied directly by MyPassRecovery support.
  2. Delete unexpected copies received through email, chat, forums, file-sharing sites, or search advertisements.
  3. If MyPassRecovery publishes an SHA-256 checksum, compare it with the downloaded installer before opening it:
shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/MyPassRecovery.dmg
  1. If the warning says the app will damage your computer, macOS reports known malware, or the file has an unexpected name or size, stop and contact MyPassRecovery support. Do not run the commands below.

Apple explains that macOS checks Developer ID signatures and notarization, and warns that overriding these protections can expose a Mac to malware. See Apple's guidance on safely opening Mac apps and Apple's explanation of modified or damaged apps.

Recommended Method: Open Anyway in System Settings

After confirming that the app came from the official source:

  1. Drag MyPassRecovery.app into the Applications folder.
  2. Try to open it once, then close the warning.
  3. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security.
  4. Scroll to Security, find the message about MyPassRecovery, and click Open Anyway.
  5. Enter the administrator password or use Touch ID, then confirm Open.

Apple notes that the Open Anyway option is normally available for about one hour after an attempted launch. This creates an exception only for that app. See Open a Mac app from an unknown developer.

If macOS Still Says the App Is Damaged

Use this fallback only after MyPassRecovery support confirms that the download is authentic and intact. Open Terminal and first check whether the app has a quarantine attribute:

xattr -p com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/MyPassRecovery.app"

If the attribute is present, remove only that attribute from this specific app bundle:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/MyPassRecovery.app"

If the downloaded app bundle has a different name, replace the quoted path with its actual .app path. To avoid typing mistakes, type xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine (including the final space), drag the app from Finder into the Terminal window, and then press Return.

Then Control-click MyPassRecovery.app in Finder, choose Open, and confirm the prompt. The xattr -d option removes a named extended attribute and -r applies the operation within the app bundle; see the macOS xattr manual.

Do not use sudo spctl --master-disable, do not disable Gatekeeper globally, and do not clear quarantine attributes from the whole Downloads or Applications folder. If the targeted command does not solve the problem, delete the app, download a fresh copy from the official source, and contact MyPassRecovery support.

macOS Interface and Screenshot Note

The screenshots below are reused from the Windows guide because the MyPassRecovery document-processing workflow is the same: sign in, select the protected file, wait for analysis, submit or save the result, and verify the output. Window controls, file-picker appearance, fonts, and paths may look different on macOS. Follow the labels in your installed macOS build when a screen differs.

Page Summary

When a Word document has editing restriction enabled, you can usually open and read the file, but you cannot change text, copy content, adjust formatting, or save edits. This guide shows how to use MyPassRecovery Desktop to remove Word editing restriction by importing the file, analyzing the editing restriction, saving the unrestricted output file, and confirming that the new document can be edited normally.

What Is Word Editing Restriction?

Word editing restriction is a document protection setting. After editing restriction is enabled, the document can usually still be opened, but editing permission is limited. Editing restriction is different from an open password: an open password prevents the document from opening, while editing restriction allows viewing but prevents normal changes.

MyPassRecovery Desktop can handle Word files protected by editing restriction or permission protection. When the software recognizes this protection type, it can remove editing restriction directly and generate a new editable Word file.

When to Use This Guide

Use this guide when a Word document opens successfully but cannot be edited. This situation is usually caused by editing restriction. The guide is also suitable when the password for stopping protection is forgotten or when you need to restore normal editing permission.

  • The Word document opens, but editing is blocked.
  • Word shows an editing restriction or protected document message.
  • The password for stopping editing restriction is no longer available.
  • You need to create a new Word file without editing restriction.

When This Guide Does Not Apply

If the file asks for a password before opening, it is a Word open password recovery case, not an editing restriction removal case. If the file is damaged, locked by macOS file permissions, or blocked by cloud sync, that problem is not Word editing restriction.

Before You Start

Before removing editing restriction, prepare MyPassRecovery Desktop and the protected Word document. Close the document in Word and keep the file in a local folder.

  1. Install MyPassRecovery Desktop. The free quick check does not require sign-in; sign in only when submitting a subscribed cloud-recovery task.
  2. Prepare a Word document with editing restriction. Supported formats include .doc and .docx.
  3. Place the file in a local folder, such as ~/Documents/MyPassRecovery/Word Editing Restriction/.
  4. Close the Word document before importing it into the software.

Operation Steps

Step 1: Open MyPassRecovery Desktop

Open MyPassRecovery Desktop and make sure the app is online; sign in only if you are submitting a subscribed cloud-recovery task. The client should be online and ready to analyze the Word file before you remove editing restriction.

Step 1: Open MyPassRecovery Desktop

Step 1: Open MyPassRecovery Desktop

Step 2: Import the Word Document with Editing Restriction

In the Document Processing area, click the file selection button and choose the Word document that has editing restriction. After import, MyPassRecovery Desktop reads the path and identifies the file type and protection method.

Step 2: Import the Word document with editing restriction

Step 2: Import the Word document with editing restriction

Step 3: Wait for Editing Restriction Analysis

After the file is imported, MyPassRecovery Desktop checks whether the document contains editing restriction, an open password, or another protection type. For a file that only has editing restriction, the client should indicate that the protection can be removed directly.

Step 3: The software detects editing restriction

Step 3: The software detects editing restriction

Step 4: Remove the Editing Restriction

After the software identifies editing restriction, click Save. MyPassRecovery Desktop generates a new Word file, usually with an _unprotected suffix. This output file is created without the previous editing restriction.

Step 5: Open the Output File

Open the new output file in Microsoft Word for Mac. If the file can be edited and saved normally, the editing restriction has been removed. Use this output document for continued editing and keep the original protected file as a backup.

Result

After the process is complete, the original Word document remains unchanged, and MyPassRecovery Desktop creates a new editable Word file. Use the new output file when you need to continue working without editing restriction.