Form Protection Problems

[Guest]

Now that I havce completed a surevy question fomr, I am looking to protect
it. But problems arise in this process. When I click on Protect Document,
then select the option to allow "Filling in forms," it seems to work just
fine; I am able to fill in "Text Form Fields," and select Option Buttons and
Check Boxes when I click on them, whiile still not being allowed to change
text and other information that is not a part of the form. However, after I
save this as a document or document tamplate, when I come back to the
protected document, it no longer lets me select Option Buttons or Check
Boxes. Is there a way to fix this problem? Why in the first place does it
work, then when the template is opened again, it does not?

Something to note is that I used the Control Toolbar to insert Option
Buttons and Check Boxes, not the Form Toolbar. Can this create the problem?
If so, is there a way around it?

Last, but not least, is there a way to convert this into a form-based PDF
file? I have Adobe Acrobat Professional, but going through the conversion
process with Adobe Designer is very long and comes out with bad quality. I
am hoping there is another way.

 

[Guest]

After looking more into this problem, I think I have figured out where it
stems from. It seems that whether I close with the Control Toolbar open or
closed, when I open a document back up, that toolbar is open and the "Design
Mode" is on by default. As the person who responds to this will know, having
that "Design Mode" on disables someone from selecting the Option Buttons or
Check Boxes and instead, allows them to edit them. When this is coupled with
the fact that the document is protected, it means that nothing can be done.

Is there a way to change this process so that the COntrol Toolbar does not
appear automatically with the "Design Mode set to on?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Controls from the Controls Toolbox are not compatible with protected forms,
which use fields from the Forms toolbar.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

OK..
Do you have another suggestion of how to get around this. The Forms toolbar
does not allow me to insert "Option Buttons," which are needed for this
survey. Only to Control Toolbar does.

Also, I mentioned the below question in a follow-up posting. You obveously
have seen it, since that is the posting that you are responding to. However,
I do not thik that my question was answered. Do you have an answer to this...

Is there a way to change this process so that the COntrol Toolbar does not
appear automatically with the "Design Mode" set to on?

If there is a way to make this happen, I think my problem will be gone
because when I initially protect the document, I am able to use the Control
Toolbar system of "Option Buttons" and Check Boxes. However, this happes
after I have already closed out of "Design Mode." On the other hand, after
closing the document and reopening it, that darn "Design Mode" comes back on.
Indubatably, that default of the "Design Mode" coming on is what is
preventing this from taking place. Is there a way through Option for that
"Design Mode" to not come on automatically?

 

[Jay Freedman]

This is a consequence of using Control Toolbox objects, which are
ActiveX controls and are considered to be in the same threat class as
unknown macros. When the macro security level is set to High, all
macros and ActiveX objects are disabled, and design mode is invoked.

To stop it, open some other (unprotected) document, go to Tools >
Macro > Security, and set the security level to Medium.

When you open the document, you'll be prompted whether to disable or
enable macros. You must select Enable to open the document without
invoking design mode.

You'll have to give similar instructions to each person who receives
the form.

This is an unfortunate situation, but it can't really be avoided
unless you have a security certificate and can digitally sign the
document. Although you can use strictly items from the Forms toolbar,
those don't include option buttons. To make check boxes behave in an
exclusive manner to simulate option buttons, you have to use macros
(see
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/ExclusiveFmFldChbxs.htm), so
you're right back at the same problem.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
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newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Thanks a lot for the second time, Jay!