I am trying to create a document using word 2007. I don't want to have to
print my document out to fill it out. I want to be able to fill it out with
out having to reformat it while doing so, as a way of record keeping.
You can create a "protected form" like those in previous Word versions, and
that's recommended if you expect users of the earlier versions to fill out the
form. See
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=22 to get started,
although you need a couple of bits of 2007-specific information not in that
article:
- First display the Developer ribbon -- go to Office button > Word Options >
Popular and turn on that option.
- On the Developer ribbon, in the Controls group, click the Legacy Tools button
(fourth one in the second row in that group) to see the buttons that used to be
on the Forms toolbar.
- The Protect Document button is farther to the right on the Developer ribbon,
and it shows a menu where you click "Restrict Formatting and Editing". That
opens a pane on the right. Check the box under Editing Restrictions, and choose
"Filling in forms" in the dropdown below that. Then click the Start Enforcing
button to make the form protected (active).
If you're the only user of the form, or you expect that everybody who fills in
the form will use Word 2007, then you're better off using the new Content
Controls, which are the other buttons in the Developer ribbon's Controls group.
