Microsoft Word Metadata Query

Copper Contributor

Hi - hoping someone could help regarding a Microsoft Word metadata query.

By way of background, I myself am using Microsoft Word 2010 version.

I received an email attaching a Microsoft Word document.

When I open the MS Word attachment and I click on the File tab (in my MS Word 2010 version) , and I look at the properties of the document, I can see that the document was 'created' originally in 2009.  I can also see that it was 'last modified' in 2019.  Does anyone know how i might be able to see what changes were made to that document at the last modification (or any modifications made between 2009 and 2019?  The sender of the email is maintaining that the attachment as sent to me is exactly the same as the original version.  I have suspicions that it is not and that is has been changed and edits made to its original form.

 

Any help appreciated.Thanks

 

Footballfan123

 

3 Replies

These dates are essentially meaningless. They are certainly forensically meaningless because they can be altered relatively easily. The modification date does not mean that any significant change was made in a document.

 

There is no way of seeing what changes were made unless "Track Changes" was enabled and the changes were neither accepted nor declined. This would be a very poor practice.

I am an attorney. Take a look at the editing time on some of your own documents. It is the time the document was open on a computer.

Charles, thank you for the above. Would you agree that the 'created' date (for that version of the Word document) would be accurate? Of course, it may have been copies from an earlier version, but for the version in my possession, the 'created' date would be accurate? Thank you
Sorry, no. The created date is forensically meaningless. It is most likely the date the file was created, but not necessarily. It can be any date the creator of the file wants it to be if said person is sneaky enough. There are also things that the creator may have done that innocently change this date.