Microsoft Word, How do I prevent forms being altered when edited?

[RATTER15]

Im creating forms that will be filled in on the PC, I want to be able to save the form so that nothing changes as it is being filled in, so that everything stays the same, the text boxes dont automatically adjust, and dotted lines dont move across the page when typing etc, im assuming this can be done easily?

[boxtops]

I can't tell you how to do it but yes there is a way to do it - every stays the same but only the boxes to be filled in are accessible by someone else.

[ChuckFickens]

http://office.microso...ment-HP001044747.aspx

[factor-fiction]

I'm certainly no expert on this but if it's a fairly simple form I'd either create a table, insert my questions and then delete the borders where they weren't needed (probably leaving borders just round the boxes that need filling in)

Or I'd insert a series of text boxes/frames

[factor-fiction]

It certainly is possible- a lot of job application forms that are to be typed up come in this format. (It can be very frustrating when the boxes aren't big enough or when some formatting restriction prevents me starting my phone number with a 0)

[ChuckFickens]

this one actually explains it better..
http://office.microso...ment-HA010372706.aspx

(to stop the text boxes resizing just turn of the auto size option in the properties for it)

[RATTER15]

Thank Chuck, exactly what I wanted.

Factor, Im using text boxes and tables etc but as there is a lot of boxes etc on these forms, one slight change in a box size moves the whole lot and the page page is a mess and completely destroys all the set up.

[ChuckFickens]

Forms in word are great fun to setup because of that problem:)

You decide one box needs to be 5mm larger so you change that one box and then have to spend the next half hour reformatting the rest of the document because it's all over the place suddenly.

[RATTER15]

Ok, so I can now protect my document, the problem I now have is when the "Protect Document" window is open, the "section" part is greyed out, that is the bit I need to enable the form to be filled in in certain fields without disrupting the form.

[RATTER15]

Im using word 2002, so a bit old.