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To make online form fields (form field: In a form, a location where a particular type of data, such as a name or address, is stored.) active so that users can enter information but cannot accidentally change a form (form: A document that contains fill-in blanks, or form fields, in which you enter information. For example, you can create an online registration form in Microsoft Word that uses drop-down lists from which users can select entries.) as they fill it in, the form must be locked, or protected. Before you can change a form, you must remove this protection.

1. Do one of the following:
   • On the Tools menu, click Unprotect Document.
   • On the Forms toolbar, click Protect Form .
2. If the form requires a password (password: A sequence of characters needed to access computer systems, files, and Internet services. Strong passwords combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.), type the password.

If the form contained data, Microsoft Word preserves the data when you protect the form again. You can clear the data by clicking Reset Form Fields on the Forms toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, click Customize on the Tools menu, and then click the Toolbars tab.).

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