Insertion Point Stays in Form Field with Protection Turned Off

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SYMPTOMS

When using a form field in a protected document, and turn the document protection off, the insertion point remains in the field. This may pose a problem if you continue typing and then turn the forms protection back on.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Word allows for a document to be protected for forms. This is accomplished by the insertion of form fields into a document and setting the Forms protection by choosing Protect Document from the Tools menu.

When the insertion point is in a form field of a document, and the form protection is removed, the insertion point remains within the form field. Any text typed will become part of the form field if the insertion point is not moved before typing.

RESOLUTION

Before making any changes to the unprotected document, move the insertion point out of the form field. The form field will have a gray shading by default where the form field exists (the color of the shading may be different based on the Windows colors you have selected).

To Protect a Document as a Form:

1. Choose Protect Document from the Tools menu.

NOTE: Any text that was previously typed into a form field will be cleared, by default. If the information in the form fields needs to be retained, the forms protection needs to be set using the following macro.

WARNING: ANY USE BY YOU OF THE OR MACRO CODE PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides this macro code "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

To create the Forms Protection Macro, use the following steps:

1. Choose Macro from the Tools menu.

2. Type in a macro name (i.e.: ProtectDocument) and choose the Create

       button.
   

3. The following will appear in the macro window:

             Sub Main
   
             End Sub
   
   

4. The insertion point will be on the blank line between the Sub Main and

       the End Sub. Type in the following on the blank line:
   

             ToolsProtectDocument .Type = 2, .NoReset = 1
   
   

5. Choose Close from the File menu. When prompted "Do you want to keep the

       changes to the macro Global: ProtectDocument?", choose Yes.
   

6. To run the ProtectDocument macro, choose Macro from the Tools menu.

       Select the ProtectDocument macro and choose Run. The macro will
       protect the document without clearing the text from the form fields.
   

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119698
   TITLE     : Form Fields Lose Text When Protected for Forms