design mode and check boxes

[Tim Cheslik]

I have created a document to house a request form. In
the form I have 7 check boxes which can be slected. I
created them using the control toolbox. When I save the
document I do so after I exit the design mode. Not the
problem. When I open the document up again it begins in
design mode. Thus, my users need to click on the exit
button before they can use the document check boxes. How
can I get the document o open in run mode?

 

[Sara]

Did you protect the form?

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Tim,

The document is opening in design mode because you have the macro security
level set to High (Tools > Macro > Security). Word considers the checkboxes
and all other controls from the Toolbox (which are ActiveX) to be of the
same threat type as macros, so it disables them and puts you into Design
Mode.

If you change the security level to Medium, Word will ask each time you open
the document whether to enable macros. If you say Yes, the checkboxes will
work normally. (Setting it to Low isn't recommended.) However, there is *no
way* you can control the security level of anyone else's Word -- this is by
design, so malicious macros can't turn off the security -- so your users
will still see design mode.

The only decent alternative is to use checkboxes from the Forms toolbar
instead, but then you have to protect the document for forms in order to
make them work. If your form is already using text and dropdown form fields,
though, this is the right way.

Another alternative is to use some AutoText entries, MacroButton fields, and
macros from the Fax templates, but again they won't be usable by anyone
whose security level is High.