Using Protected Formletters

[jodyreed]

Help!  I have created a Word document as a TAM Formletter that includes tables.  I have added fields (from the Developer tab), check boxes and a drop down box to be completed by our client and then protected the document so they may only complete the fields and cannot change the information being asked for.  When I am in the Document Setup part of TAM and protect the document, all works as it should.  Once I Save & Exit and then go into TAM to test it out, the only fields available to me to be completed are the check boxes.  Any thoughts on how to keep the functionality of my document? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.   

[Ray Alvarez]

Unfortunately you cannot use the protected mode feature in Word while accessing the letters via TAM.  It has something to do with the Macros that TAM uses.  What many do instead is use ASK commands (EX:  {ASK YEAR "WHAT YEAR WAS THE INSURED BORN?"} and then the answers are inserted into the appropriate area of the formletter.

[jodyreed]

Thanks Ray.  But why would my check boxes work and the text fields not work? 

[Lance Bateman]

Just part of the problem that TAM Word macros don't handle protection, which is required for certain things you're trying to do.

[Matthew Udovich]

But why would my check boxes work and the text fields not work?

My guess is that the check boxes are from the Legacy Forms and the text fields are from the Active X Controls or vice versa??
The bottom line remains that protected Word documents do not work as TAM formletters. 

One thing I haven't tried, though is creating the form fields and not protecting the document until after it has been merged via TAM, maybe that's the ticket??

[Lance Bateman]

Matt, not sure if that's still the case - but I tried that in version 8.5, and it didn't work.