An updated date or time may be joined sequentially to the value in a Date field or in a Time field every time that the field is updated in Word 2003

When a Date field or a Time field is updated in a Microsoft Office Word 2003 document, the original date or time is deleted. Additionally, a new date or time is entered in the field. This new date or time may be joined sequentially to the next new date or time every time that the field is updated.

For example, the original time in a Time field is 07:01. If you print the document at 08:10, the original time of 07:01 is deleted. Additionally, the new time of 08:10 is entered in the Time field. If you then print the document again at 09:01, the Time field is updated. However, the new time is joined sequentially to the previous value in the Time field. In this example, the Time field now has a value of 08:1009:01.

Note This problem does not occur if the document was created in Word 2003 and if one of the following conditions is true:

• The document is protected to allow only edits that are made by using the Track Changes feature.
• The document is protected to prevent users from adding comments.

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 3. To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
After you install the service pack, follow the steps that are listed in the "How to enable the hotfix" section of the article to set the SpecialFieldsProtHandling registry key and to activate the hotfix.

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Word 2003 post-Service Pack 2 Hotfix Package that is dated November 28, 2005. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To enable this hotfix, follow these steps:

1. Quit Word 2003.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click to select the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options
4. After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type SpecialFieldsProtHandling, and then press ENTER.
6. Right-click SpecialFieldsProtHandling, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.