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removing author credentials in comments and track changes

Anonymous
2014-04-14T15:45:00+00:00

I'm desperately trying to get rid of my author name and initials in Word 365. I am a judge in a writing contest and am asked to stay anonymous.

I tried: removing my name in track changes -> tracking -> change user name.

File -> Check for issues -> Remove

Nothing helps. My clear name always appears and if I managed to get rid of it, it magically reappears.

What am I doing wrongly?

Thanks!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Suzanne S Barnhill 277.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-04-14T17:50:27+00:00

    You can remove personal information from the document when you save it. Using the Document Inspector (File | Info | Inspect Document | Check for Issues | Inspect Document), check for "Document properties and personal information." When you get the results window, click Remove All. This will set a flag in the document that will result in these data being removed every time you save.

    You can see this setting at File | Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings | Privacy Options. After you have used the Document Inspector this way, the box for "Remove personal information from file properties on save" will be checked. You can clear this check box to return to normal operation, but you cannot check the box in this location (it's normally disabled); the only way to check it is through the Document Inspector.

    70+ people found this answer helpful.
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Answer accepted by question author

  1. Suzanne S Barnhill 277.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-04-14T19:41:59+00:00

    Correct.

    9 people found this answer helpful.
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  1. Stefan Blom 339.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2016-08-14T00:12:32+00:00

    In the Document Inspector dialog box, before you start the inspection, make sure that you only choose to remove "Document Properties and Personal Information."

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2016-05-16T22:53:05+00:00

    I did this and it removed all the Comments as well. I want to keep the Comments and Track Changes, but not the author names. I need those to be removed, but I need for my students to be able to see the Comments.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2014-04-14T18:19:42+00:00

    Thank you, it works. I assume I have to run this process with every document, right?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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