How to Remove Word Comment Timestamps While Keeping Author Names
Question details
The user needs to strip timestamps from document comments without losing the original reviewer or author names.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Preparing a document for final distribution or review where time-tracking is unnecessary or unwanted, but contributor identities must be maintained for context.
- Observed behavior
- Standard features like the Document Inspector's 'Remove Personal Information' delete both the timestamps and the author names, replacing them with a generic label, which fails to achieve the desired outcome.
Always create a backup copy of your DOCX file before attempting any advanced workarounds or XML editing, as modifying document code incorrectly can corrupt the file.
Edit the Document XML File
The most precise way to remove comment timestamps while keeping author names is to manually edit the document's underlying XML data.
Since Microsoft Word does not offer a native button to strip only the time metadata, you must access the raw XML of the document. A DOCX file is essentially a ZIP archive containing various XML files.
Be extremely careful when modifying XML tags, as removing the wrong character can cause the document to become unreadable.
Right-click your backup DOCX file, select 'Rename', and change the '.docx' extension to '.zip'. Confirm the change when prompted.
Extract the ZIP file into a new folder using your preferred unzipping tool.
Open the extracted folder, navigate to the 'word' directory, and find the file named 'comments.xml'.
Open 'comments.xml' in a plain text editor (like Notepad) or an XML editor. Use the Find function to locate the 'w:date' attributes (e.g., w:date="2023-10-01T12:00:00Z") within the comment tags and carefully delete just the date attribute and its value.
Save the 'comments.xml' file. Select all files in the extracted folder, zip them back together into a new archive, and change the '.zip' extension back to '.docx'.
Use the Document Combine Workaround
A workaround that can normalize or reset timestamps for single-reviewer documents, though it does not completely erase them.
Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Review and Collaboration
If dealing with complex document metadata in Microsoft Word is frustrating, consider switching to WPS Writer. It is a highly compatible, free, and lightweight alternative that offers intuitive review tools without the bloated menus.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and follow the simple installation prompts.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing DOCX file seamlessly without worrying about formatting loss.
- 3. Manage Comments: Navigate to the 'Review' tab to easily view, manage, and reply to comments using an intuitive interface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the Document Inspector to remove timestamps?
No. The Document Inspector's 'Remove Personal Information' feature will remove both the comment timestamps and the original author names, replacing all reviewer names with the generic label 'Author'.
Why doesn't Find and Replace work for comment timestamps?
The Find and Replace function in Word is designed to search visible document text. It cannot search or modify hidden metadata or XML attributes like timestamps associated with comments.
Is it safe to edit a DOCX file's XML data?
It can be risky if you are unfamiliar with XML structures. Always work on a backup copy of your document, as an incorrect deletion (like missing a closing tag) can corrupt the file and make it impossible to open.
