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yedawo7592's avatar
yedawo7592
Copper Contributor
Sep 26, 2021

How to disable "Document Properties and Personal Information" / "Author" save by default

By default, excel adds personal information to the workbook, which I know how to remove after I've created and saved the workbook via:
"File -> Info -> Check for Issues -> Inspect Document -> Inspect" and then remove "Document Properties and Personal Information".

 

However, this is really annoying to need to remember and do for every workbook I create.
How can I change this to be the default such that "Document Properties and Personal Information" (especially author) won't be saved when I create a new workbook?

excel
office 365

3 Replies

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor
    Sep 26, 2021

    yedawo7592 

     

    Remove hidden data and personal information by inspecting documents, presentations, or workbooks

     

    Note: Although you can remove hidden data and personal information from workbooks you have sent to other people, if the Excel workbook has been saved as a Shared Workbook, you can't remove comments, annotations, document properties, and personal information. To remove this information from a shared workbook, first copy and turn off the Shared Workbook feature.

     

    Disable Document Information Panel

    If you enable this policy setting, forms and controls will not appear in the document information area. The actual area appears when users open it, but it is empty. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, users can view the document information pane.

    Registry HiveHKEY_CURRENT_USER
    Registry Pathsoftware\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\documentinformationpanel
    Value Namedisable
    Value TypeREG_DWORD
    Enabled Value1
    Disabled Value

    0

     

    VBA - delete personal information from file properties

     

    Option Explicit

Sub RemovePersonalInfos()

'Switch off warnings
Application.DisplayAlerts = False

With ActiveWorkbook
'Option aktivieren
.RemovePersonalInformation = True

'Personal information is deleted when the data is saved
.Save

'Option deaktivieren
.RemovePersonalInformation = False
'Save the file again
.Save
End With

'Switch on warning notices
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

     

     

    Hope I was able to help you with this info.

     

    NikolinoDE

     

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    • yedawo7592's avatar
      yedawo7592
      Copper Contributor
      Sep 27, 2021

      NikolinoDE The macro option (the third option in your reply) is the closest that I've seen yet. I guess that if I would manage to make it run whenever a new workbook is created it would be almost what I wanted. By the way the registry option (the second option in your reply) don't seem to have any effect in my machine. Thanks you for the help.

      • yedawo7592's avatar
        yedawo7592
        Copper Contributor
        Sep 27, 2021

        I've ended up using the VB from above to make it execute whenever a new workbook is created and remove personal information. These are the steps in case anyone else needs it:


        1) Create a "personal.xlsm" file and put it in "C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\"

         

        2) In the Macro Dialog in the "personal.xlsm" file then:

         

        a) Add a new class called "AppEvents"

         

        b) In the "AppEvents" dialog enter the following code:

        Private WithEvents App1 As Application

Private Sub Class_Initialize()
  Set App1 = Application
End Sub

Private Sub App1_NewWorkbook(ByVal Wb As Workbook)
  RemovePersonalInformation
End Sub

Private Sub RemovePersonalInformation()
  Application.DisplayAlerts = False

  With ActiveWorkbook
    .RemovePersonalInformation = True
    .Save
  End With

  Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

        c) In the "ThisWorkbook" dialog enter the following code:

        Private AppEvents1 As AppEvents

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
  Set AppEvents1 = New AppEvents
End Sub

         

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