Form fields blank in Word 2016 - visible in Word 2010

[Luxanais]

I have a form that when I open in Word 2016 the fields are blank, but when it’s opened in Word 2010 the fields are populated.

Any idea on how to solve this?

[Charles Kenyon]

Please post a sample without confidential information.
How to attach a screenshot or file in this forum.



"Form" has a bunch of meanings and nuances in Word.
How are you protecting the form?

[Luxanais]

It has password protection but since I am not the author, I don't know what the password is.

[Luxanais]

And it's a document that was created in Word with checkboxes and fields that can be filled in - hence why I called it a form.

[Charles Kenyon]

Originally Posted by Luxanais

And it's a document that was created in Word with checkboxes and fields that can be filled in - hence why I called it a form.

That is the common and usual meaning for "form." However, on this forum the term is subject to other meanings. Thank you for clarifying; I hate to assume.


Do you know if it can be used in Word 2003? That would tell us something.

Is it a .docx or a .doc formatted file?


Can you do screenshots in Word 2016 and 2010?

[Charles Kenyon]

One possibility is different option settings on different computers.

[Luxanais]

I don't have access to a computer running Word 2003 so unable to try that option. The document is a .docx file. I tried saving it as a .doc file but the same thing happens when opened in Word 2016 (the checkboxes aren't selected).

Attached are two screenshots - the first is the document in Word 2016 (the checkboxes are not selected), the second is the document in Word 2010 (the checkboxes are selected)

FYI - I've removed most of the content for privacy purposes but you can see the difference in the checkboxes being selected/not selected.

[Luxanais]

Sorry..forgot to upload images..

[Charles Kenyon]

That is likely the setting for viewing fields.


This will be a separate setting in each of the applications, it is not part of the document.


File > Options > Advanced
00 deleteme 5.png


I don't see much in the way of differences in the screenshots you provided.

[Guessed]

I don't think it is that option.

If it is the same file but different machines open to show some fields are checked then there is something else going on but there is no way to diagnose the issue. I would be very surprised if just changing the version of Word actually changes the field values. But there are plenty of macros which could be changing the field values.

[Luxanais]

The only difference is that the checkboxes are not selected (i.e. there's no X) in the document when it's opened in Word 2016, but when it's opened in Word 2010 (on a different machine) the checkboxes are selected (i.e. there is an X).