Excel putting name in opened files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andrew Rossmann
  • Start date Start date
A

Andrew Rossmann

This has probably been mentioned before. I tried googling and other
searching, but can't find the right keywords to get what I am looking
for without getting a ton of other garbage.

Basically, while experimenting for a program to determine a file format,
I noticed that simply opening an Excel .XLS file causes Excel to put my
name in it, roughly at offset $22B (555 decimal) if there is no VBA code
in it. Possibly around $62B if there is some code. The file's date or
time is NOT altered. The .XLS is modified even if I do NOT save the
file.

Is there a way to do disable this, without making the file read-only?

My experimenting is with Excel 2000, and with all patches as shown by
OfficeUpdate.
 
Does this happen when you open ANY Excel file or just a specific file or
just a new blank file? Does it happen only when you open a file by
double-clicking on the file? In other words, does it happen only when Excel
first opens? HTH Otto
 
This is how Excel tells a second opener of the file who has it open. Your
name stays there until someone else opens it with write rights. If you
don't want your name in the file you could change it (your name) under
Tools, Options, General. Also, if you're not making changes, you could open
it read-ony (from the drop down at the right of the Open button on the File,
Open dialog).
 
Andrew said:
This has probably been mentioned before. I tried googling and other
searching, but can't find the right keywords to get what I am looking
for without getting a ton of other garbage.

Basically, while experimenting for a program to determine a file format,
I noticed that simply opening an Excel .XLS file causes Excel to put my
name in it, roughly at offset $22B (555 decimal) if there is no VBA code
in it. Possibly around $62B if there is some code. The file's date or
time is NOT altered. The .XLS is modified even if I do NOT save the
file.

Is there a way to do disable this, without making the file read-only?

My experimenting is with Excel 2000, and with all patches as shown by
OfficeUpdate.
Click to expand...

I recently read an article from TechRepublic about that and verified it
by opening several spreadsheets in Notepad. I found that the user name
is entered just by opening the spreadsheet (even if the user didn't
change anything) and the files time and date don't get changed.

Sorry, but they didn't offer a way to turn it off.
 
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