Word 97 won't keep original date

Hello. I know that there was a post about Word 2000 but I can't seem to figure it out on Word 97. Hopefully someone can help me out!

When I go back to a saved document the date changes to the current date ( "today's" date) rather than showing me the original date the document was made. How do I make it stop! Is there a cure-all or do I have to do it every time I make a document?

Thanks so much.
C*

 

This is how to do it in Word 2000 but should be the same for 97: You need to lock the date field to prevent it from changing. To do this:

Lock or unlock a field
To lock a field and prevent changes to the current field results, click the field, and then press CTRL+F11.


To unlock a field and allow updates, click the field, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+F11.

Be sure to re-save your document after you lock the field.

For more info on locking fields go to Word Help and search for "lock ".

 

Thanks John. See, I have never made a field before. I have been accessing someone elses Word documents (with permission of course) who obviously has used them before. So my bad for not understanding when someone said something about "fields" before. Now I have them on a few of the documents I reuse and the stupid date keeps changing. So maybe you could answer this for me, how do I get current documents from changing the date everytime I access them? When you say "click" the field then do CTRL + F11 do you mean highlight, because I tried to just click it and the field "lights" up in the beige color, then I hit CTRL + F11 and it does nothing. Will it acknowledge what I've done, for instance prompt a note saying "Field has been locked" cuz I ain't getting it!! I am so sorry to be a nuisance. I have tried to look for help in the Search of Word Help but it doesn't do me too much help on this particular topic. I also can't get it to switch to the written out date rather than the number date. You can just tell me to go take a class. I know there are a lot of questions in the note. (I just need to come up with the $$ for classes!)
Thanks again ,
C*

 

Hello again, if you are using a form made up by someone else there is a possibilty that person(s) have "locked" or "protected" the entire document to prevent changes to the format. To find out click on Tools on the menus bar and see if there is a listing for "Unprotect document" in the drop down box. If so the document is protected. You can click on that listing and unprotect unless the composer of the document has password protected it. If so you are out of luck unless you can get the password from them.

As to the date format, again to change the format you would have to unprotect the document and reformat the date field.

To lock the field with Ctlr+F11 you just need to have the curser in the field, it does not have to be highlited. Again sounds like the document has been locked or protected.

There is a formum that specializes in MS Office questions at: http://www.theofficeexperts.com/forum/

Check it out as it may be of some help. Let us know how you make out.

 

So I am back. I looked to see if the document was protected. Under Tools it says "Protect Document For...[and] Tracked Changes" is selected. I am not sure if that can be unselected and I tried but it won't unselect. It does have a prompt for a password, so I don't know. I just think I will try to not use the last persons documents and make up my own. My main concern was getting the original dates back but I don't think I can make that work.
Thanks for your help though-it have showed me something new (for me)!
C*

 

Hi C*

The way the date is displayed is dependant upon the formatting of the Field when the document was originally created, and I am fairly certain that this has been standard for various versions of Word for some time past. I am not sure how easy/possible it is to change the formatting of an existing document, but one of the suggestions given above may work for you.

However when creating your own new documents the two normally used fields are CREATDATE and just plain DATE. The former will not change when the document is opened at a subsequent date to that on which it was created, whereas DATE always gives today's date and of course this will always change to the date on which the document is being opened.

When you wish to insert a date into a document this is the method: -
1. Click on Insert on the Menu Bar and select 'Field'
2. This will display a window with two columns - Categories and Field Names
3. Click on Date and Time category which will display six Field Names
4. Click on CreateDate which will then appear in the slot below and below that will be a description of the field
5. Click on the Options button and select one of the displayed formats according to the way you wish the date to be displayed in your document
6. Click the 'Add to Field' button and then OK and OK again on the Field window and Hey Presto! today's date will be inserted in your document.

Now for the interesting part! If you want to see the name of the field and the formatting that is being used to display the date press Alt+F9 and you should see something like this: -

{ CREATEDATE \@ "d MMMM YYYY" \* MERGEFORMAT }

The Alt+F9 is a 'toggle switch' and changes back and forth with the formatting and the displayed result of that formatting each time those keys are pressed.

I have never tried to change an existing document, but thinking more about that, you could try creating a document with Field DATE and then using the toggle switch, amend the field to CREATEDATE, toggle back to the displayed date and close the document and save the change. Next day try opening the document and see if it is still displaying the previous day's date.

 

Thanks so much for the lesson! I got it to work (on a new document). Not sure about the ALT + F9; it's not toggling anything. But I will try what you said about the old documents at a later date. Thanks again-I really appreciate it!
C*