tracked changes switch to Unknown user

[Lisa S.]

I'm running Word X, service release 1 on OS 10.3.3. I believe the OS
update is fairly new. Recently, when using Track Changes, Word will
suddenly change the color of my edits--set to track by author in
Preferences--and, on mouse-over, it will read Unknown instead of my
user name. I'm mystified. I've been using Word X since it was released
and this has never happened before--is it an OS conflict? Would
appreciate any help since my tracked changes are crucial to my job as
an editor.

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

Has Word changed permanently, or does it start out properly with each new
session and then randomly change in the middle?

The OS update is new, but SR 1 for Word X sounds outdated:

See here to make sure you are fully updated:
http://www.mcgimpsey.com/macoffice/office/vxversions.html

If no one chimes in with "I've seen this, and know the exact answer!" here
are some things to try:

Is this always the same document, or lots of documents?

If always the same doc, it may be corrupt:
The first way to check for a corrupt document is to
copy the entire thing, *excluding* the last paragraph mark, into a new
document. That last paragraph mark (click on ¶ on the standard toolbar to
show marks) holds a lot of information which can get corrupted, and copying
the text into a document with a fresh one keeps your formatting, but can fix
some glitches.

See this link for further info:

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm

If all documents, for general troubleshooting:

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/macoffice/word/troubleshooting.html
In addition to the tips listed there, check your Word Startup Folder (Apps:
Office: Office: Startup) and see whether you have any add-ins that may be
conflicting with Word (Endnote is a common culprit).

Please post back and let the newsgroup know what worked, or if you are
posting back because nothing worked, be sure to explain what you already
tried.

This link has a bit more information if you get desperate, but is presented
in a less straightforward manner.
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/WordMac/index.htm

DM

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word]]

Hi Lisa:

Has your document been anywhere near a PC user? Word on the PC has a new
feature: "Remove personally identifiable information from this document on
Save." If that is set to "ON" then the User IDs Track Changes rely on will
be removed on each Save, so the colours will indeed change.

That facility might come to Mac Word in the next version: look out for a
"Security" tab on the Preferences dialog: if it's there, you need to decide
whether to leave it on or turn it off.

Cheers


This responds to article <[email protected]>,

I'm running Word X, service release 1 on OS 10.3.3. I believe the OS
update is fairly new. Recently, when using Track Changes, Word will
suddenly change the color of my edits--set to track by author in
Preferences--and, on mouse-over, it will read Unknown instead of my
user name. I'm mystified. I've been using Word X since it was released
and this has never happened before--is it an OS conflict? Would
appreciate any help since my tracked changes are crucial to my job as
an editor.

--

Please respond only to the newsgroup to preserve the thread.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. GMT + 10 Hrs
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Lisa S.]

Brilliant, John, thank you. All other reviewers are PC users; I will
forward this message and ask them to disable this feature in their
Security preferences. It must wreak havoc on my edits because the
personally identifiable information is deleted while I'm working on
the document, and at random, not when I save.

 

[Lisa S.]

Thanks for the great tips. Prior to John's post I tried updating Word
and copying the documents, minus the final para. mark, into new docs,
without success. The problem was happening in different documents for
the same client, at random. If John is correct, a simple setting
change on other reviewers' PCs may solve it. I hope he is right, as
blaming the problem on others would be so much more convenient.