Protected Styles and Numbering

[chestnut]

Hello, this is my first post here and I hope someone can help!



I have set up a Word 2003 template with protected styles, linked to numbering. I followed the detailed instructions I found on the internet regarding how to do this properly and then protected the styles and formatting before giving the template to others to use.


However, although the other users cannot set up new styles or purposefully change the styles listed they keep accidentally altering them, especially the links to the numbering. As an example, when a user deletes a paragraph number that they do not require from the body of a document this also deletes the link between the numbering and the style, even though the numbering and style are “protected”. Also, they still seem to be able to alter the indenting, and this creates new styles.


If anyone has any idea why this is happening, or how to protect the documents even more (preferably without turning it into a form or writing a complicated marco!) that would be much appreciated.




Thanks

[fumei]

Can you please post links to the information you used to protect styles. I did not know you could do that in 2003.

Also I am confused about what you state that users can not "purposefully change the styles"...but they can "accidentally". What is the difference?

[Stefan Blom]

Please describe more in detail how you set up protection/restriction and what users can and cannot do. What are the specific symptoms? What goes wrong?

Generally, with document protection/restriction, users should be unable to use other styles than the ones you have allowed for them. (But do note that protection isn't foolproof. It can be circumvented rather easily if you know how.)