Allowing Only Form Field Changes

Word 95, 97, and 2000 include the ability to protect your document so users can only make changes to the document within form fields. Typically this is done just before saving your newly created form document as a template. Without such protection, people can still use the form fields, but they can also make changes anywhere else desired in the document. If you require this type of document protection, follow these steps:

1. Choose Protect Document from the Tools menu. The Protect Document dialog box appears. (Click here to see a related figure.)
2. Make sure the Forms radio button is selected.
3. Enter an optional password. (This is a good idea, since anyone can turn protection off if you don't specify a password.)
4. Click on OK. Word displays the Confirm Password dialog box.
5. Enter your password again.
6. Click on OK.
7. Save your document.

With this type of protection turned on, people can still load and read the document. The only difference is that they cannot change anything in the document, except what you set up for them to change in form fields. (Don't confuse the protection discussed in this tip with the protection afforded by the file password options. That type of protection was discussed in other issues of WordTips.)