Keeping "styles" unchanged

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I frequently e-mail a document for others to review, update and return.
Although I want their (content) updates, I do not want any changes to my
pre-set styles for headings, paragraphs, etc. Any ideas on how to keep
someone from changing styles in my document?
Don
 
If you check the Automatically Update Document Styles in the dialogue that
appears wthn you click Tools + Templates and Add-Ins, the document reformats
using the style definitions found in the attached template (found on your PC,
herefore unchangeable by your correspondents).
 
Yikes No! What the Automatically Update Document Styles setting will do is
likely exactly the reverse of what's wanted - if there is a template on the
recipient's machine that matches the name of your attached template (and
you've no way of telling this) then the styles will be updated to match
*that* template. Leaving this setting 'on' may sometimes cause unwanted
effects on your own machine too, and there is no Undo.

If you have Word 2003 then you can protect the document for Styles - you can
set a password if you feel it's necessary. That will prevent the recipient
changing your styles or adding any direct formatting.

If your Word is earlier than that or you feel that is too draconian, then
you could use the 'Automatically Update Document Styles' setting (assuming
your styles are in the attached template) when you receive the document
back. Select All and use Ctl-Q to return everything strictly to style, or
use the Styles and Formatting Task Pane (from Word 2002) to view the
Formatting in use and spot inconsistencies (you need to set the Keep Track
of Formatting option on to see direct formatting).
 
I assumed that using "Automatically update" on getting the document back was
what AA2e72E had in mind.

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

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all may benefit.
 
Hi Suzanne

You're probably right - but I guess it does no harm to point out this isn't
something to use *before* you send the document elsewhere :-) (I guess I am
particularly sensitive to this one - long ago when the world was young I
left the setting on by accident in one of a set of delivered files. It took
some time and several pained e-mail exchanges before it dawned on me that
the client had an identically named template on his machine so was not
seeing what I sent!)

'Automatically update' won't fix direct formatting, either, which is usually
what reviewers splat over your documents <sigh>.
 
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