Locking a Field

Summary: When you use fields in your document, you may want them to not change from a particular displayed result. You can lock individual fields so that they remain static from that point forward. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

Many of the tips featured in WordTips rely on the use of the special fields available in Word. Many times these fields are updated, automatically, when you make changes in a document or actually print the document. There may be times when you want to make sure a field does not get updated. You can accomplish this by locking the field. Locking prevents a field from being updated; the last result is kept until you unlock the field and then update it. To lock a field, perform these steps:

Select the field you want to lock.
Update the field, if desired, by pressing Shift+F9.
Press Ctrl+F11.

If you later want to unlock the field, follow these steps:

Select the field you want to unlock.
Press Ctrl+Shift+F11.

Tip #383 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Locking a Field