Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Entering a Name in the Header of a Locked Form.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 20, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365
Lynn has created a four-page form in Word. After locking the form, she would like the person completing it to enter his name in the NAME field inside a header so that his name will appear at the top of each of the pages of his completed form. Word tells her she can't do this, but she can't help but wonder if there is a workaround.
The header (as Lynn found out) is not accessible in a locked form. While a macro could be written to allow access to the header in some manner, such an approach would be overkill. The only reasonable workaround would be to follow these general steps:
That's it. When the user enters in his name, Word automatically updates the StyleRef field in the header to include that name. More information on the StyleRef field can be found elsewhere in this issue, on the WordTips site (simply look for StyleRef in the Search box on any page), or at the following page:
http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/StyleRef.htm
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13388) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Entering a Name in the Header of a Locked Form.
Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!
When you create a form, you need to use special form fields. If you want to limit what users can enter in a form field, ...
Discover MoreAre you developing a form with Word? In some instances it is advantageous to copy whatever is entered in a form field to ...
Discover MoreWord allows you to protect documents that are intended to be used as forms. If you want to convert the form responses ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-03-08 08:13:02
Anne
Hi,
As you stated above, "When the user enters in his name, Word automatically updates the StyleRef field in the header to include that name." My problem is that it does not automatically update/appear in the Header until I Save the document and if I want to remove the info in the Header, I again have to Save the document. This is fairly new (3-4 months), as I never had to Save the document before.
Please let me know if you've come across this before and if so, can it be fixed?
2018-05-21 11:04:16
Bill Eger
can you send me the tip on creating a form field? I've tried every variation I can think of to search it but all tips are about form fields already existing .
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
Comments