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: Converting Forms to Regular Documents.
As you are working with forms in Word, there may be times when you want to convert the responses to your form back to regular text. (There are many times when regular text is much easier to work with than answers in forms.) To do the conversion, follow these steps:
Now all the fields in the document have been changed to unlinked, regular text. You can now edit the document as you normally would.
The caveat here, of course, is that all of your fields are changed to regular text. Thus, if you had other fields in the document (such as fields for dates or sequential numbers), these are also changed to regular text by this process.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13390) 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: Converting Forms to Regular Documents.
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2021-03-25 18:00:26
Steve Nellis
Can you provide details of how to do this on a Mac laptop?
2015-06-29 11:32:33
Not sure if my message last Monday got to you. I didn't notice this "leave your own comment" section before today, so I'm resending my message from last week:
Dear Allen,
I always look forward to opening your messages and finding useful nuggets that help me work faster and, equally as important, feel smarter!
Regarding the information in your article below on “Converting Forms to Regular Documents” where you state:
The caveat here, of course, is that all of your fields are changed to regular text. Thus, if you had other fields in the document (such as fields for dates or sequential numbers), these are also changed to regular text by this process.
The workaround this is to highlight only those fields you’d like to convert to hard text, and then Press Ctrl+Shift+F9. The rest of the fields in the document remain linked.
I appreciate all the help you’ve given me over the years, and I feel such pleasure in being able to contribute something in this info-sharing community. Enjoy your summer.
Best regards,
Morgan
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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: 
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