form opening in design mode

[BorisS]

I have created a form in '07, using legacy text boxes for places where people
should make entries. The doc is saved in compatibility mode for older
versions. I have exited design mode, and locked the document down to allow
only entry into form fields.

When I test the doc on another of my computers, with 2003 on that one, the
doc opens in design mode, and since it is locked, does not allow me to unlock
and correct this. Through some combination of esc (I don't have that
computer in front of me, to check for exact steps), I am managing to exit out
of design mode, but I cannot enter text into the forms. As such, the only
thing I can do is use the password to unlock (which my users, who are not
supposed to change the form, are not going to be allowed to do), and even
then there seem to be issues.

any idea of what could be happening and how to fix?

 

[Jay Freedman]

I have created a form in '07, using legacy text boxes for places where people
should make entries. The doc is saved in compatibility mode for older
versions. I have exited design mode, and locked the document down to allow
only entry into form fields.

When I test the doc on another of my computers, with 2003 on that one, the
doc opens in design mode, and since it is locked, does not allow me to unlock
and correct this. Through some combination of esc (I don't have that
computer in front of me, to check for exact steps), I am managing to exit out
of design mode, but I cannot enter text into the forms. As such, the only
thing I can do is use the password to unlock (which my users, who are not
supposed to change the form, are not going to be allowed to do), and even
then there seem to be issues.

any idea of what could be happening and how to fix?

When a document -- locked or not -- opens in design mode, that's a sign that it
contains one or more items from the Control Toolbox (which becomes the ActiveX
Controls section of the Legacy Tools gallery in Word 2007), and that the macro
security level is set to prevent macros and ActiveX controls from working.

The best course is to remove any ActiveX controls from the document. If none are
visible, it may be necessary to copy the text and Forms fields to a new blank
document to get rid of the binary vestiges of the controls.

The alternative -- generally a poor one -- is to instruct users to go to Tools >
Macro > Security and set the level to Medium. Each time they open your form,
they'll be prompted to enable macros.