Using Word 2000, I am creating a doc with form fields on the first page only,
so therefore, I'll need to protect that section only, and the remainder of
the document will be a normal document (unprotected) allowing complete
freedom to the person filling in text.

When I protect the first section, I notice that I cannot automatically
update my automatic table of contents any longer. If this won't work, then
is there another way to separate the first page from the rest of the document
but some way to make them forever linked so they cannot get lost one from the
other - perhaps using Master documents?

One other thing I wanted to do was fill in one field on the first page
(which is protected) and have that content get filled in elsewhere in the
document (in the unprotected section). I know if the entire doc was
protected, that I could use macros to auto fill another field upon filling in
the first field but that is not my case.

The overall goal is to have a very user-friendly document for novice users.