[ITGuy]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope someone can help me out.

I have a user that's created a form with some questions and check boxes. The
problem is when the users saves the word document cloeses it and goes back
into it design mode is turned off and none of the buttons work.

I'm wondering if there's anyway to have design mode to turn on when the
document is open.
(using Word 2002 aka XP)

Thanks in advanced

[Jay Freedman]

ITGuy wrote:
Hi Everyone

Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope someone can help me out.

I have a user that's created a form with some questions and check
boxes. The problem is when the users saves the word document cloeses
it and goes back into it design mode is turned off and none of the
buttons work.

I'm wondering if there's anyway to have design mode to turn on when
the document is open.
(using Word 2002 aka XP)

Thanks in advanced

I think you may be confused about the functions and terminology -- it
wouldn't be surprising, as Microsoft has made such a dog's breakfast of
forms in Word.

There are two main kinds of controls (check boxes, text fields, etc.): form
fields from the Forms toolbar, and ActiveX controls from the Control Toolbox
toolbar. They're completely different in function, but since MS has done so
little to document their uses and differences, people tend to grab whatever
looks handy and then get into trouble.

If you use Forms form fields, then you have to "protect the document for
forms" to make everything work. That prevents users from making any changes
outside the form fields, and you can tab from one field to the next
(http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=22). Once a document is
protected, it stays that way until it's explicitly unprotected (by the user
or maybe by a macro).

If you use ActiveX controls, then forms protection is irrelevant, but you
must have Design Mode turned _off_ to make everything work
(http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...fice.10).aspx). The
usual problem here is that if the user's macro security level is set to
High, then the document always opens with Design Mode turned _on_ and
nothing works. The workaround for this is to set the level (in Tools Macro
Security) to Medium and click the Enable button in the warning dialog
every time the document is opened.

So:

- What kind of controls and/or fields are in the document?
- If they're form fields (only), use Tools Protect Document or the lock
icon to protect the form.
- If they're ActiveX controls (only), click the Design Mode button in the
toolbox to turn it off, save the document, and set the security level to
enable macros.
- If the user has mixed the two kinds of controls, you may have to do both
things. But my experience is that this isn't a stable situtation, and the
user would be best advised to use only one kind. The form fields would be my
preference.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
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