Windows 7: Word 2010 - Styles Ribbon Behaviour When Saving Protected Doc/Dot

Open a new document.
Create 2 text boxes
Link them
Enter some text

All the while it is possible to use the Styles ribbon to change the formatting in the text boxes.

Now Restrict Formatting and Editing by
Formatting restrictions -> Limit formatting to a selection of styles

Editing Restrictions -> Allow only No Change (Read only)

Select entered text

Exceptions -> Groups Everyone

Start Enforcement - Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection and enter password

It is still possible to use the Styles ribbon to change the formatting in the text boxes.

Now save the document

The Styles ribbon grays out and it is no longer possible to use the Styles ribbon to change the formatting in the text boxes.

Even if you close and re-open the document or break the link the Styles ribbon stays grayed out.

If you Stop and Start protection the Styles ribbon is no longer grayed out and if there is a legacy textbox within the document by clicking it the Styles ribbon is no longer grayed out.

Please can someone explain what is the issue and a way round it.

WIndows 7 64bit

Many Thanks

By "a way around it”, you mean you would like to be able to edit styles after you reopen your document? What is your goal?

I have a protected macro document that gathers some information from configuration files eg name, class, subject. This is achieved using VBA - so far so good.
There is one part of the document excluded from protection where staff can input work covered - this is 2 text boxes linked together.
In completing this section staff need to be able to format using normal, bullets and bold styles before it is copied to another template document using VBA.
The copying and subsequent stages all work fine - it is just the formatting that is an issue. While I could put a dummy legacy control on the document you can be sure that someone will put data into it which will get printed on the final report

I have attached a document that shows the issue.

1. Open the document using Word 2010
2. Enter some text into the text box (linked to flow from lh to rh)
2. Check if Styles are available from ribbon or 'grayed out'
3. If 'grayed out' click where indicated.
4. Styles are now available from ribbon

I have found a work around by inserting the legacy control on the first line - the cursor defaults to that position. However, it is a work around and doesn't explain the behaviour and I prefer positive action rather than relying on default and of course someone could enter a character which would print out.

Okay, I have tried that out. Same issues with Office 2013.

May be Microsoft thinks that once you use a textbox, there might not be a lot of style changing when document is protected. I do not have another explanation

Why don't you try other ways to create the same thing?
Like one cell table with text divided into two columns? (You would have to dig out that function from ribbon customization menu. It is under All commands and is called "Columns")
I have tried, it works out of the box! No need for any dummy controls.

Many Thanks, Neutron16.
It would appear that in Word 2010 you cannot put columns into a cell, at least, I have not been able to do it successfully.

Two column text was not invented in Office 2013, that is for sure.
Could you split text into two columns first, then create one cell table. And only after that put place that text into the table?

I've given it a try but no can do. All that happens is 2 columns are created and the cell ends up in one of them rather than the other way round.