Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Stopping Automatic Changes from Being Tracked.

Stopping Automatic Changes from Being Tracked

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 21, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


As you already know, Word allows you to insert fields in your documents. These fields can be used for quite a few handy things, such as the today's date, the current page number, the user's initials, or a host of other tidbits of information. What makes these fields handy is that they are automatically updated by Word. Some fields are automatically updated when you open a document, others are updated just before you print, and you can manually update fields at any time you desire.

All this updating can cause a problem if you have Word's Track Changes feature turned on. If the feature is turned on and a field is updated, the field results show as a "change" in the document. This problem is most often exhibited with date fields, but can also be a problem with other fields. For instance, page numbers, if implemented through fields, will show as "changes" if they are updated.

The only way to stop Word from updating fields is to lock them. You can do this by selecting the entire document (Ctrl+A) and then pressing Ctrl+F11. The fields will then remain locked until you specifically unlock them by selecting the entire document and pressing Ctrl+Shift+F11. In other words, you could lock the fields, turn on Track Changes, make any changes you want, turn off Track Changes, resolve the changes, and then unlock the fields.

If you only have a limited number of fields in your document and you know exactly when they are being updated, then there are a couple of other steps you can take. For instance, Word automatically updates headers and footers when you open a document. To bypass this action, switch to Normal view, turn on Track Changes, and then save your document. Later, when you open the document, it will still be in Normal view. Word won't update the headers and footers—even on opening the document—unless you are in Print Layout view. While editing in Normal view, only those changes you make will be visible. Word will, however, automatically update the headers and footers if you switch to a view that requires them to be shown on the screen, such as Print Layout or Print Preview modes. In this case, the only way to stop the automatic update is to lock the fields, as previously described.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1716) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Stopping Automatic Changes from Being Tracked.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Using Very Large Font Sizes

You can format your text to use some very, very large font sizes. The results you see from formatting with large fonts ...

Discover More

Counting All Graphics

Need to know how many graphics a document contains? Getting at the true number may take a little more work than it first ...

Discover More

Inadvertantly Getting Rid of Frozen Panes

Excel provides quite a bit of flexibility in displaying your data. You can have multiple windows visible for the same ...

Discover More

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!

More WordTips (menu)

Inserting the Document Revision Number

Need to know how many times your document has been saved? Word keeps track of this information, and makes it easily ...

Discover More

Updating Fields in Locked Forms

Updating form fields in Word can be confusing, especially when the fields are locked in a form. This tips explains why ...

Discover More

Calculating Dates with Fields

Can you calculate dates using fields? Yes, but you probably don't want to except as a learning experience. An easier way ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two more than 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.