WD2000: Cannot Undo Automatic Field Updates

When you open a document that contains a field, the field is updated automatically, and you cannot undo the automatic update. This causes problems most often with Date fields.

By design, automatic field updates are not tracked by the Undo command.

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

NOTE: Most of these methods do not work if the document has been saved after the automatic update occurred.

Method 1: Save the Document in Normal View

To prevent the field from being updated when you open a document, save the document in normal view after you insert the field. If the file is saved in normal view, it will open in normal view, and the fields will not be updated automatically. The field should not be updated until you print or change to a view that causes Word to update the fields (views that cause fields to be updated include page layout and print preview).

Method 2: Insert the Date Without Turning on Update Automatically

NOTE: This method inserts the date as static text, which cannot be updated.
To insert the date field without turning on the Update Automatically option, follow these steps:

1. On the Insert menu, click Date and Time.
2. In the Available formats list, select the date or time format you want to use.
3. Clear the Update automatically check box.
4. Click OK.

Method 3: Lock the Field Before You Save the File

Click to select the field, and then press CTRL+F11 to lock the field. To unlock a locked field, select the field and then press CTRL+SHIFT+F11.

Method 4: Refer to the Following Article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base

This problem does not occur in Word versions 6.x and 7.x.

If the intent of a date field is to record the creation date of the document, use the Create Date field, available under Field on the Insert menu, rather than a date field. The Create Date field is used most commonly in document templates to insert the current date when creating a new document. This date will not change for the life of the document.