Step-by-Step Guide: How to Remove Identifying Information from Word Documents

In today’s digitally connected world, sharing documents is an everyday occurrence. While convenient, the release of sensitive information can cause huge problems. Removing personal information from a document is an important step in protecting yourself and others. This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide to remove any identifying information from Word documents.

What Information is Considered Identifying?

Before we dive into the steps to remove identifying information from Word documents, let’s first understand what information should be removed. Identifying information includes, but is not limited to, the author’s name, comments, revision history, and hidden text. These pieces of information can provide details about the document’s creation, editing, and distribution.

Step 1: Open the Document in Microsoft Word

The first step is to open the document in Microsoft Word. Once it’s open, select the “File” tab and choose “Info.” From here, select “Check for Issues” and choose “Inspect Document.”

Step 2: Inspect the Document

The “Document Inspector” feature will appear, allowing you to choose the types of information you want to inspect. Check all boxes to ensure that Microsoft Word searches the entire document for information, including sensitive data.

Step 3: Remove the Identifying Information

After the document has been inspected, Microsoft Word will provide a report detailing any identifying information it has found. Choose “Remove All” to delete the information or “Close” to review and remove specific pieces of information. Once you’ve reviewed and deleted any information you don’t want included, save and close the document.

Step 4: Protect Your Future Documents

Preserving confidentiality is key, so begin with creating a generic user account for document creation. Using generic accounts rather than personal accounts makes it difficult for authorship identification. Moreover, make a habit of removing identifying information in any document you plan to share, submitting a document to colleagues or clients only after removal of the identifying information.

Conclusion

By following these simple steps, you can protect yourself and others from potential harm that can come from the release of sensitive information. With data privacy laws becoming more comprehensive, it’s crucial to be diligent about removing any identifying information before sharing documents. Make it a habit, review the document for any identifying information prior to sharing and then relax in the peace of mind from having removed any potentially sensitive data.

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