Version History Issues

How to Restore a SharePoint Version Without Changing Its Original Date

Nimra Malik Oct 14, 2026 872 views

Question details

Users want to restore a previous document version in SharePoint while preserving the original author and creation date as the active document metadata.

How to Restore a SharePoint Version Without Changing Its Original Date

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Restoring an older version of a file within a SharePoint document library.
Observed behavior: SharePoint automatically creates a new version logging the current user's name and the current date instead of keeping the original version's metadata.

Before you start

Understand that SharePoint's versioning system is strictly designed for auditing compliance, meaning it treats any file restore as a new modification event and automatically updates the timestamp.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Custom Metadata Fields to Track Original Dates

Since the default 'Modified' date is automatically updated by SharePoint by design, creating custom columns allows you to manually track and display the original date and author.

SharePoint does not offer a native way to bypass the metadata update when restoring a file. The most reliable workaround is to implement custom columns in your document library to store the historical data you wish to visibly preserve without diving into the version history logs.

Open Library Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint document library, click the Gear icon in the top right corner, and select 'Library settings'.

Create a Custom Column

Click on 'Create column', name it 'Original Date', and select 'Date and Time' as the information type.

Update the Metadata

Whenever you restore a version, manually edit the properties of the document in the details pane to input the historical date into your new 'Original Date' field.

Use Custom Metadata Fields to Track Original Dates

Version History Verification: Even though the active file shows the current date, the original metadata is never lost; it is permanently logged and viewable by accessing the 'Version History' menu of the document.

Solution 2

Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft

Because this limitation is 'by design', requesting a change directly to Microsoft's development team is the official channel to push for a permanent built-in solution.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint change the date when I restore a document?

SharePoint's version control treats a 'restore' action as creating a brand new version of the document based on the older data. To maintain accurate security and audit trails, it records the current time and the user performing the restore.

Are previous versions permanently deleted when I restore an older one?

No, restoring a version simply creates a new copy of it as the latest active version. All intermediate versions remain safely in the version history log unless they are manually deleted or your library's version limit is reached.

Can I use Power Automate to change the modified date back?

Yes, advanced users can create a Power Automate flow using HTTP requests to SharePoint to update the metadata fields without triggering a new version. However, this requires administrative permissions and advanced technical setup.

How do I view the original creation date of a restored version?

You can view the original date and author by clicking the ellipsis (...) next to the document and selecting 'Version History'. This historical log retains the exact time and user who created every past iteration of the file.

Document & File Issues