excel

How To Change Author In Excel

Boost your productivity with Sourcetable's AI spreadsheet assistant. Work like a spreadsheet power user and answer all your questions in seconds.


Learn more
Jump to

Introduction

Changing the author in Excel documents is a common need for users who collaborate on spreadsheets or take over projects from others. This task involves accessing document properties and modifying metadata.

While Excel requires manual navigation through document properties, Sourcetable offers an AI-powered alternative where you can simply chat with an AI assistant to handle spreadsheet tasks. In the following sections, we'll explore how Sourcetable's conversational AI approach lets you effortlessly manage spreadsheets, analyze data, and create visualizations - try it now at app.sourcetable.com.

excel

How to Change Author in Excel

Using Prepare for Sharing

To change the author name in Excel 2010, access the "Prepare for Sharing" feature. This is found under the "File" tab. It provides the option to remove all personal information from the document, including the original author's name. This feature also checks for issues that may be present in the document before sharing.

Through Windows Explorer

Another method to change the author is via Windows Explorer. Right-click the Excel file, select 'Properties,' and navigate to the 'Details' tab. Use the 'Remove Properties and Personal Information' option to delete the original author name. This process is applicable to Excel files as they are ZIP files with XML content that may contain identifiable strings.

Editing XML Contents

For advanced users, searching through the XML contents of an Excel file can reveal strings that identify people or organizations. Tools like grep in Linux or Cygwin in Windows are effective for such searches, which allow for manual removal or alteration of author details.

Updating Document Properties

In Excel 2019, 2016, and 2013, change the author name by utilizing the 'File' tab, selecting 'Info', then 'Properties'. Here, you can view, alter, or remove document metadata, including creator details. The Document Inspector and Protect Workbook feature also provide avenues for managing and securing document properties.

excel
excel

Use Cases for Changing Excel Document Author

Team Collaboration Tracking

Teams can monitor who made specific changes during collaborative projects. This helps maintain accountability and provides a clear audit trail of contributions to shared spreadsheets.

Document Ownership Transfer

When a document changes hands or ownership is reassigned, metadata can be properly updated to reflect the current owner. This ensures proper attribution and maintains organizational clarity.

Contribution Attribution Management

When multiple team members contribute to data entry or analysis, proper authorship attribution can be maintained. This is crucial for tracking responsibility and giving credit where due.

Shared Document Control

In environments where multiple users access and modify Excel files, version control and user accountability can be properly maintained. This helps track document evolution and responsibility for changes.

Authorship Correction

When employee transitions occur or attribution errors need to be fixed, authorship information can be accurately updated. This ensures documents reflect the correct creator and maintainer information.

sourcetable

Excel vs. Sourcetable: A Modern Spreadsheet Comparison

Traditional spreadsheets like Excel rely on manual functions and formulas, making data analysis time-consuming and complex. Sourcetable revolutionizes spreadsheet work by integrating AI technology, allowing users to simply chat with an AI assistant to perform any spreadsheet task. Whether you need to analyze data, create visualizations, or generate reports, Sourcetable's AI handles the complexity while you focus on results. Try Sourcetable at app.sourcetable.com to answer any spreadsheet question instantly.

Natural Language Interface

While Excel requires knowledge of specific functions and formulas, Sourcetable lets you communicate your needs in plain English through its AI chatbot. Simply describe what you want to achieve, and the AI creates the solution instantly.

Data Processing Capabilities

Sourcetable handles files of any size and connects directly to databases, eliminating Excel's size limitations and performance issues. The AI processes and analyzes your data based on simple conversational requests.

Visualization and Analysis

Instead of manually creating charts and performing complex calculations in Excel, Sourcetable's AI automatically generates stunning visualizations and performs in-depth analysis based on your instructions.

Workflow Efficiency

Sourcetable eliminates the need to learn complex Excel features or spend time on manual spreadsheet creation. The AI assistant handles everything from data generation to analysis, saving hours of work.

Accessibility and Ease of Use

While Excel has a steep learning curve, Sourcetable makes spreadsheet work accessible to everyone through its conversational AI interface. Users can accomplish complex tasks without technical expertise.

excel

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change the author name for all new Excel files?

Click File > Options, then under 'Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office', type a new name in the User name box. Make sure 'Always use these values regardless of sign-in to Office' is checked.

How do I change the author name for just the current Excel file?

Click File > Info, then look for Author under Related People. Right-click the author name and select Edit Property. Type the new name in the Edit person dialog box.

What's the quickest way to add a new author to an Excel file?

Go to File > Info, look under Related People, and hover over 'Add an author'. Click on the Add an author text, type in the author's name, and click anywhere in the Excel window to save.

How can I remove author information from an Excel file before sharing?

Use the Document Inspector on a copy of your file. The Document Inspector can find and remove document properties and personal information, including author details.

Conclusion

Changing authors in Excel can involve multiple steps and complex permissions settings. Managing these changes requires understanding various Excel features and settings.

Sourcetable simplifies spreadsheet management with its AI-powered interface. You can easily modify spreadsheet properties and get instant answers to your questions through the built-in chatbot.

Get started with Sourcetable today.



Sourcetable Logo

Work smarter, not harder

Boost your productivity with Sourcetable's AI spreadsheet assistant. Answer all your questions about spreadsheets in seconds. Try for free to get started.

Drop CSV