How to Prevent Word Tracked Changes from Showing Multiple Author Names
Question details
The user needs to stop Microsoft Word from displaying a single reviewer as multiple different authors in Track Changes due to inconsistent name formats.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing and editing documents using Track Changes while signed into Office online or switching network environments like VPNs.
- Observed behavior
- Word displays the same person as multiple authors (e.g., switching between 'Firstname Lastname' and 'Lastname, Firstname'), causing different tracked change colors and inconsistent editing behavior.
Decide on the exact user name and initials you want to consistently use for all your future tracked changes and document edits.
Force Word to Use a Consistent User Name
Configure Word's General Options to always use a specific manually-entered user name, overriding the Office online sign-in profile data.
By default, Microsoft Word attempts to sync your author name from your Microsoft 365 account profile. Network changes, such as connecting to a VPN, can cause Word to temporarily lose this connection and fall back to local credentials, resulting in multiple variations of your name in the Track Changes pane.
Launch Microsoft Word. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner, then select 'Options' at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
In the Word Options dialog box, ensure you are on the 'General' tab.
Scroll down to the 'Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office' section. Type your preferred consistent name in the 'User name' field and your initials in the 'Initials' field.
Check the box next to 'Always use these values regardless of sign in to Office'. Click 'OK' to save your changes.
Reset Office Activation State
If forcing the user name does not resolve the issue, resetting your Office activation state can clear corrupted credential caches.
Set a Consistent Reviewer Name Easily in WPS Writer
WPS Writer provides a straightforward way to set a fixed author name for Track Changes, avoiding the issue of multiple reviewer profiles caused by complex online account syncing conflicts in other software.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your document in WPS Writer.
- 2. Access Options: Click on 'Menu' in the top left corner and select 'Options' from the drop-down list.
- 3. Configure User Information: Navigate to the 'User Information' tab. Enter your desired name and initials, click 'OK', and all subsequent tracked changes will use this identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Word change my reviewer name when I connect to a VPN?
When you connect to a VPN, your network environment changes. Word might momentarily lose its connection to your Microsoft 365 account and switch to using local credentials or a different cached profile, causing it to log your tracked changes under a slightly different name format.
How can I merge the multiple author names already present in my document?
Microsoft Word does not have a built-in one-click feature to merge different reviewer names. However, you can use the Document Inspector (File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document) to 'Remove Document Properties and Personal Information', which will change all reviewer names to 'Author'. Alternatively, you can use a VBA macro to find and replace specific author names.
Does changing the user name in Word Options affect my Microsoft account profile?
No. Changing the user name and checking 'Always use these values regardless of sign in to Office' only affects the local Office applications installed on your computer. It governs local features like Track Changes and document properties but does not alter your actual Microsoft account display name online.
Will my existing tracked changes lose their colors if I check this option?
No, checking this option will not retroactively alter the colors or names of existing tracked changes. It simply ensures that all future changes you make are assigned to the single consistent user name you specified, and Word will assign one standard color to those new changes.
