Re: Ctrl-a, F9 doesn't work to update all fields including TOC

[Stefan Blom]

Select All (Ctrl+A) followed by F9 should definitely work, with the
exception of fields in text boxes or headers or footers, none of which will
be included when you Select All in the main body of the document.

Switching to Print Preview (Ctrl+F2) and then going back to the previous
view (ESC) should work with several types of fields, including those in
headers, footers, and text boxes. However, this approach does *not* work
with TOCs, which must be updated manually, with F9, or via the update on
print option.

 

[Stefan Blom]

To clarify, when "Update fields before printing" is selected in Word
Options, you should be *prompted* to update the TOC when printing, but not
necessarily when previewing.

 

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi,

Thanks Stefan, but ctrl-A, F9 definitely doesn't work in
one of my documents that I got from someone else.

maybe, the fields are locked by Ctrl + F11. Press Ctrl+ Shift + F11 to
unlock.
Or the fields are locked by a switch (\!). Press Alt + F11 to check the
field code.

 

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi,

Nope. I already tried both of those (actually alt+f9
for reveal codes; alt+f11 on my machine opens
the visual basic window).

Sorry. Of course Alt + F9 toggles between field codes and field results. And
in the field codes you did not find the switch...

You wrote: "Updating the cross-references or TOC individually work".
Does this mean, fields *can* be updated, e. g. using right mouse click
(update field)? But they cannot updated by pressing F9?
Did you check shortcut keys in the document? Is F9 assigned to a different
command?

 

[Smarth]

I was having the same problem on a document in Word 10. It turns out I had a locked field somewhere in the document. I not only did a CTRL-A CTRL-SHIFT-F11 to unlock all fields, but I also did a [Windows Key]-SHIFT-F11, which I had seen as an alternate method to unlock a field somewhere, and lo and behold, CTRL-A F9 now worked.

What clued me into the solution was this...when I did a CTRL-A and right clicked, the Update Field option was disabled (greyed out). Now, after unlocking all fields, it is enabled.

I think the answer for you may be in the use of the [Windows Key] rather than the CTRL key. Sorry, don't know how to make a windows key symbol.