How to unlock fields in Word

Protect a document and mark the parts that can be changed

1. On the Review tab, in the Protect group, click Protect Document, and then click Restrict Formatting and Editing.

   Click File > Options to open Word Options and choose Advanced tab from the left pane. Under Show document content, in the “Field shading” drop-down list, choose “When selected” or “Always,” as appropriate, and then click the OK button. Fields then appear with gray shading:

   

   The “Field Shading” options are as follows:

   • Never: Word not shade any field.
   • Always: Word shade all fields.
   • When selected: The default option; Word shades only the field holding the insertion point.

   Identify Fields That Change When You Open and Print a Document

   All I did was open the document and print it. Why is Word asking me if I want to save changes when I close the document?

   The document contains one or more fields that were updated automatically either when the document was opened or when it was printed. Often, the field that changes is a date field that changes to the current date, so check that the printout contains the date you want it to have. For an older document of which you’re printing a new copy, you probably will neither want the date to change nor want to save the changed version of the document. To prevent Word from updating the field when you print, choose File > Options, click the Advanced1 tab, and uncheck the “Advanced2” box:

   

   If you can’t immediately identify the field, choose File > Options, click the Advanced tab, choose “Always” in the “Field shading” drop-down list, click the OK button, and then look for the shading in the document (See, Field Shading).

   Lock or Unlock a Field

   When I use a template that includes a date field (for example, on a letter), the date shown is always the date when I print the letter, even if I’m printing a fresh copy of a letter that was last changed five years ago.

   If the date field you want to affect is in a document you just opened, and it’s showing the correct date (for example, five years ago), click in the field and either lock it (press Advanced8) so that it won’t change. Then save your document. (To unlock press Advanced9.)

   To prevent the problem from occurring in new documents you create based on the template containing the field, open the template and choose Show document content0 and Show document content1 button from Show document content2 group. In the Show document content3 dialog box, select the date format, uncheck the “Show document content4” box, and click the OK button. Save the changes, and then close the template:

   Bookmarks and references are typical examples of fields in Word documents. All fields are updated automatically on opening the document or manually by selecting them and pressing F9. However, you can lock specific fields in the document to prevent automatic updates. To update those fields, update them one by one, or select the entire text by pressing Ctrl+A and press F9.

   For example, revision dates should remain unchanged:

   

   To lock or unlock the field from automatic or inadvertent updating, do the following:

   • To lock the field to prevent updates, click on the field, and then press Ctrl+F11:
   

   So, the Update Field command is disabled for this field:

   
   • To unlock the field for updates, click on the field, and then press Ctrl+Shift+F11:
   

   You can right-click this field and choose Update Field in the popup menu:

   

   See also this tip in French: Comment verrouiller et déverrouiller la mise à jour des champs dans le document Word.

   Encrypt your PDF with a password to prevent unauthorized access to the file content, especially for file sharing or archiving.

   

   Passwords and files are safe with us

   All files and passwords are transferred using secure SSL connections. Files are deleted permanently after one hour. Passwords are deleted instantly after processing.

   

   On Mac, Windows, and Linux

   As a web application, we can support all platforms like Mac, Windows, and Linux. Protecting PDFs everywhere!

   

   Secure encryption for maximum safety

   There are PDF passwords that can be removed easily. We thoroughly encrypt your files so that it would take many thousands of years to crack your password with a regular computer.

   

   A good length for a secure password

   For a very secure password, we recommend using a non-dictionary word of 7 characters or more. Also include numeric characters, capital letters, and symbols.

   

   Password-protection in the cloud

   You don't have to download or install any software to set a password for your PDF. Just upload it, protect your PDF and download the encrypted file.

   How do you unlock form fields in Word?

   Click Popular, and then select Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box. 4. Click on the Protect Document Tab select Restrict Formatting and Editing 5. Click the Stop Protection Button Page 3 How to “unlock” a Word Form The form is now unlocked and can be edited in anyway.

   How do you unlock and update a field in Word?

   You can prevent fields from updating by locking them. To lock a field so that it is not updated, click the field, and then press Ctrl + F11. To unlock a field so that it can be updated, click the field, and then press Ctrl + Shift + F11.

   How do I enable fields in Word?

   Inserting built-in fields.

   Navigate to the location in the Word document where you want to insert a field..

   Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon and then click Quick Parts in the Text group. ... .

   Select Field. ... .

   In the list of Field names, select a field. ... .

   Under Field properties, select any properties or options you want..

   How do you unlock a field in Word Mac?

   In Word for Mac, press Command+F11 to lock a field, Command+Shift+F11 to unlock a field.