WD2000: How to Recover a Saved Field Value

This article describes how to recover the last saved value in a field that Microsoft Word automatically updated when you opened a document.

When you open a document containing fields, Word automatically updates some fields such as Date, Fillin, and so forth. These field updates cannot be reversed, because they do not appear in the list of actions that you can undo.

However, if you do not save the document after you open it, you can recover the last values saved for the fields. To do this, follow these steps:

NOTE: Do not close or save the original file.

1. Open a new blank document by clicking the New button on the Standard toolbar.
2. On the Insert menu, click File.
3. In the Insert File dialog box, select the icon of the original file, and click OK.
4. Word inserts the fields in the new document with the last saved value displayed.
5. Click to select the field, and then press CTRL+F11 to lock the field.
6. Copy and paste the locked field into the original document, replacing the original field. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click to select the locked field.
   2. Copy the field to the Clipboard by clicking Copy on the Edit menu.
   3. Switch to the original document by clicking it on the Window menu.
   4. Click to select the original field, and then press DELETE.
   5. Insert the locked field by clicking Paste on the Edit menu.

NOTE: The field no longer updates until you unlock it. To do this, select the field and then press CTRL+SHIFT+F11.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: