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Office 2013 - "This modification is not allowed because selection is locked"

I am using Office 2013 (Word).  The document I am working on is an old document that I have been using for well over a year.  It is a running "to-do" list with check boxes.  Before my current issue, I would check off the completed tasks for the week and then at the beginning of the next week, I would copy and paste the previous week's tasks, enter a new date at the top of the list, and simply delete the checked (completed) tasks.  All of a sudden, when I go to delete a task, I receive the message "This modification is not allowed because selection is locked".

Most of the other answers to this problem (apparently a common problem) seem to revolve around the document being restricted (not in this case) or an issue with the Word version not being activated (not in this case).  I am having no problems with any other Word docs, only this one.

EDIT:  I just figured out that if I ONLY use the "backspace" key, I can delete the line (task) in question, but if I highlight the entire line and try to delete it I receive the same message.

Any help is appreciated!

Billiken

Hello Bill,

Welcome to Microsoft Community and thank you for posting your query.

Let me assist you with Word issue.

Since the document is not restricted and the issue is with a specific document, let’s try to repair the document using the following steps and verify the status.

To open a specific document by using the Open and Repair feature in Word, follow these steps:

  • Start Word.

  • On the File menu, click Open.

  • In the Open dialog box, click to select the file that you want to open.

    Click the down arrow on the Open button, and then click Open and Repair.

I hope the above information helps. Let us know if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

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If you are using checkboxes and the document is not protected then the checkboxes could be Content Control checkboxes.  Check to see if the content control properties are set to "Contents cannot be edited" or Content control cannot be deleted."

 

Greg Maxey
***
Death smiles at us all, but all a man can do is smile back.


For more help with Word visit:
http://gregmaxey.com/word_tips.html

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Hi Billiken!

I was having the same problem as you and I have just resolved it.

I went to the Developer Tab, and in the Controls there is a "Group" tool.

My checkboxes were grouped together, so it didn't let me edit anything, but when I went there and clicked "Ungroup", everything went back to normal and now I can edit it all without a problem!

Try it and hope it helps.

Best Regards

Peter

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I'm having the same problem with ALL my documents - - even blank ones.  It started happening a week after I upgraded to Windows 10, if that's any help. 

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As it is not clear what you mean by "the same problem with All my documents"  can you please describe the symptoms and any error messages that you receive.  Also let us know the version of Office that you are using.

Also see the article "Known issues with Office and Windows 10" at:

 

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Known-issues-with-Office-and-Windows-10-28d56d84-c16c-4763-8eac-e51e05a37a16?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - MVP Office Apps & Services (Word)
dougrobbinsmvp@gmail.com
It's time to replace ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ with ‘Excellence, Opportunity & Civility’ - V Ramaswamy

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Thanks for replying.  I figured it out. Apparently, (and completely unbeknownst to me) when I updated to Windows 10 I somehow received a Trial Version of Microsoft Office 2013 (which I didn't particularly want - - I was completely happy with the 2010 version) and when the Trial Version ran out I am locked out of the program until I purchase a new one.  I have no idea what became of the product key for my 2010 Office so I figure I'm screwed until I can shell out the dough for the latest, greatest version off Microsoft Office.  A bit pissed off about that but that's water under the bridge.  In the meantime I'll get by with Apache Open Office.

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The update to Windows 10 will not have caused your Office 2010 application to be deleted from your computer.  It may however have "woken up" a trial version of Office 2013 that had been dormant on your computer.

If you click on the Windows Start button and then select All Apps and then scroll down through the list to M, you should see a Microsoft Office Folder, inside of which you will find your Office 2010 applications.  Right click on each one and the select Pin to Taskbar to simplify accessing them.

Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - MVP Office Apps & Services (Word)
dougrobbinsmvp@gmail.com
It's time to replace ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ with ‘Excellence, Opportunity & Civility’ - V Ramaswamy

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Well, that's some extremely helpful information.  Much appreciated.  You've saved me a chunk of change.

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Just tried that.  Unfortunately it didn't work.  I'm still locked out and tired of piddling around trying to fix a problem I didn't create.   I appreciate your help, though.  I'll stick with Apache Open Source for now. 

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Open the File Explorer and search for winword.exe
Hope this helps,
Doug Robbins - MVP Office Apps & Services (Word)
dougrobbinsmvp@gmail.com
It's time to replace ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ with ‘Excellence, Opportunity & Civility’ - V Ramaswamy

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Last updated April 9, 2024 Views 15,242 Applies to: