MS Office Word: Update all fields

In this practical tip we will show you how to update all fields simultaneously in MS Office Word. This saves you a lot of effort in large documents, since Word does not automatically update formulas, tables of contents and other dynamic content.

Update all fields in Word

If you want to update a field in Word, first mark it with a mouse click and then press the [F9] key.

1. To update all fields at once, first mark all contents with the key combination [CTRL] + [A]. Then press F9 to update the fields throughout the document.
2. Unfortunately, Word is a bit sluggish when it comes to updating the fields. If not all fields are updated, simply press the [F9] key again. Depending on the length of the document, you will need to repeat this process four to five times. Alternatively, use our workaround:

Update all fields via the print dialog

Another way to update all fields is via the print function.

• You don't really need to print the document. It is sufficient to open the print dialog with the key combination [CTRL] + [P] and then close it again with the Escape key. Word will then update all fields.
• This process usually works faster than the first variant. The reason for this is that Word updates and saves internal document properties for certain actions.
• Printing is one of these actions because the printing date is a field function and is accessed.

This practical tip is based on MS Office Word 2007. It also works under Word 2010 and 2013. In our next practical tip you will also learn how to insert form fields in Word.