Word 2003, Protected Documents & Macros?

[eidinger2000]

I have some people who can run macros on a protected ("tools\Protected
Document") Word Form file and others who have to unprotect before they can
run a macros. They are all using Word 2003. The form was created in Word 2000
and their “Tools/Marco/Security†setting is the same.
I want them all, to be able to run macros in the form without turning off
"Protected Document". Could someone please help?

 

[Jay Freedman]

I have some people who can run macros on a protected ("tools\Protected
Document") Word Form file and others who have to unprotect before
they can run a macros. They are all using Word 2003. The form was
created in Word 2000 and their "Tools/Marco/Security" setting is the
same.
I want them all, to be able to run macros in the form without turning
off "Protected Document". Could someone please help?

The missing piece of information is: How are the macros being started? Are
they defined as exit macros for certain form fields, or a toolbar button or
keyboard shortcut, or is there a MacroButton field in the protected text
that they need to click?

There should be absolutely no difference among users for exit macros,
toolbars or shortcuts, but there could be a difference for MacroButton
fields.

By default a MacroButton field requires a double-click to activate its
macro. When the field is in protected text, though, the first click is
intercepted by the protection and the cursor is forced to the next available
form field, so the second click doesn't register as a double-click.

To fix this, your users need to run an AutoExec macro to change the setting
so the MacroButton fields fire on the first click. That macro is the first
one in the "Double-click or single-click" section of
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/HLinksInForms.htm.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[eidinger2000]

The persons, who work, are running the macro from the Toolbar menu. The ones
who have to turn off “Protected Document†to run the macro are running it
from “Tools/Macro/Macroâ€, but the last Macro button is grayed out. They must
turn off “Protected Document†to be able to select it. They both click on a
field in the form and run the macro to fill the field.

 

[Jay Freedman]

OK, now I understand what you're trying to do. But what's a mystery to me is how
anyone in your group is able to do it. When a form is protected, it's normal for
the Tools > Macro > Macros menu item and the Alt+F8 shortcut to be disabled. All
the methods that _should_ be available are the ones I mentioned before --
setting the entry or exit macro for a form field, assigning a custom button on a
toolbar, or assigning a keyboard shortcut.

For your purposes, it would probably be best to assign the macro as the entry
macro for the field, so the macro runs automatically as soon as the user clicks
or tabs into the field. To set this up, open the form's template, unprotect it,
and double-click the field to open its Properties dialog. In the dropdown marked
Entry, select the name of the macro to run. Then reprotect the template and save
it.

Of the other methods, the toolbar button is probably the easiest for users. To
create one in your form's template, see
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/AsgnCmdOrMacroToToolbar.htm. For
users who prefer keyboard shortcuts, you can also assign one of them in the same
template; see
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/AsgnCmdOrMacroToHotkey.htm.