Circumventing restricted Word documents

I'm applying for a job with a local employer, and their HR department uses a Word document with editing restrictions as their generic application. You can download the document, but you cannot alter the format in any way -- you can only fill in the blanks. The problem is, whoever created this document has mis-matched fonts, misplaced page breaks, and left other formatting errors all over the place. It's obvious that whoever did it didn't even test the entire document for apearances sake. The end result is an application I'm hoping will land me an interview, but that looks like it was created by a 5 year-old.

I could re-create the document from scratch, but that would require a good deal of time as the application is several pages long. Does anyone know of a way around this Word restriction?

I realize I'm being a bit lazy here trying to go the easy route, but I'm not looking forward to a weekend of futzing with Word and all the formatting on this app. I'm also open to other suggestions...

Hmmm...I have a scanner. Maybe I could just scan in the document, and then open it in the Gimp and layer the text over the appropriate boxes. Yeah! That should work!

Well, if anyone knows how to break the Word restriction, I'd be curious to know anyway. It would be nice to know how reliable that feature is. If it's pretty solid, I may use it myself in the future.

This may work for you.
Open the document>edit>select all>copy.........................Open another blank word doc and paste. I have just tried this on the fly, so I don't know whether it wil work in your case.

It the doc password locked?

If not it could be as simple as going to the [tools] menu and unprotecting the doc.

I has to do this for my gf the other day for an application.

Sounds like they have protected the document from editing using the built in 'protect as form' option. Go to tools--unprotect document to see if you can unprotect it. Check to see if it's password protected. If it is, I may be able to help you.
[EDIT] I just realized aspman and I said the same things....however if you find it password protected, my offer still stands.

Both Aspman and hogfly were right. The document is protected "as form," and there is a password for it. I'm open to any suggestions you have, hogfly. Thanks!

To get around the protection, go to file source and open with wordpad ;)

When you submit the application, are you supposed to send a hard copy,
or are you supposed to submit it electronically? If you submit it electronically,
they may not have a sense of humor about your "improving" their form.
:cool:

roswell1329

Please make an old man very happy..............let me have a copy....... :D


Or at least give me a link so I can have a look?

I have supported people over the years...................................:D

The copy from me just has to be a hard copy so I'm not concerned about ruffling their feathers any, but that's a good warning to remember, rcgreen. Thanks.

As for your offer, nihil it's appreciated, but I found another way around it:

1. Open a new blank document.
2. Select "Insert->File"
3. Choose the protected file.
4. Re-adjust the margins, and voila! Unprotected document for you!