Missing Author & Editing Metadata in Word / Prompted for Email on Version History (Urgent)

Question

Missing Author & Editing Metadata in Word / Prompted for Email on Version History (Urgent)

DEAN 20

Hi everyone,

I am urgently looking for a technical explanation for a glitch I experienced with Microsoft Word. Because of this issue, my university has accused me of academic misconduct, and I genuinely have no idea how this happened

I recently submitted a Word document for a university assignment. I had the document open on my computer for several days while I was actively working on it. However, when my university reviewed the file's metadata, they flagged it for cheating because:

The Author field was completely blank/missing.
-There was no trace of edited characters or editing time recorded in the file properties. When they notified me, I went back to check the file on my end.
I could see a local record/history showing that the document had indeed been open over those days.
However, when I clicked on Version History, instead of showing my saves, Word prompted me to select an email address to associate with the document.
If it helps, I'm using an Infinity Laptop.
My internet drops out regularly.
I'm unsure if I had autosave on or off, but it may have been on.
On Windows 11, using what I think is the desktop version of Word.

My questions are:

Why would a document fail to record an Author and Edited Characters, despite being worked on and left open for several days?

Does the fact that Version History prompted me to sign in/associate an email indicate that Word somehow disconnected from my account while I was working, causing it to drop the metadata?

Are there any known bugs, syncing issues (e.g., OneDrive disconnection), or local save glitches that cause this exact scenario?

I wrote the document myself and I'm trying to gather any technical insights, forum links, or Microsoft documentation to prove to my university that this is a software glitch and not academic misconduct.

Thank you so much in advance for any help or insight you can provide.

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Answer 1

Hello @DEAN

I understand how stressful this situation must feel for you, especially with your university assignment being questioned. Let me restate what you described so I am aligned: you worked on a Word document for several days, but when the university checked the file properties, the Author field was blank and there was no record of editing activity. On your side, you saw that the document had been open, but when you tried Version History, Word asked you to sign in with an email address. You are using Windows 11 on an Infinity laptop, sometimes with unstable internet, and you are not sure if autosave was on.

In this case, there are some possible reasons this behavior can appear:

The Author field is set from the Word Options “User name” setting. If no account is signed in, the field may remain blank
Version History only records edits when a file is saved in OneDrive or SharePoint. If the account disconnects or the file is stored locally, Version History will prompt for sign‑in instead of showing activity (Microsoft Support).
OneDrive synchronization can overwrite or reset metadata when connections drop or files are open in multiple locations.

For your reference:

View or change the properties for an Office file

View previous versions of Office files

Although this situation is challenging, you can rely on the information above to craft a persuasive message to your school. By highlighting the technical points that demonstrate the document was genuinely authored by you and by mentioning a few unique elements from your assignment that reflect your own perspective, the explanation will help the school understand the circumstances and extend their consideration.

Wishing you all the best!

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DEAN 20 Reputation points

2026-07-15T08:34:52.4733333+00:00

Hi @Alina Le ,

I am so incredibly grateful for your response. It is a huge relief to hear a technical explanation for exactly what went wrong on my end.

I am preparing my defense for the university, and I was wondering if it might be possible to get a short letter or statement from you reiterating what you've said above, along with your credentials, to prove this is a recognized technical issue.

Alternatively, if Microsoft or forum policies prevent you from writing a direct letter, would I have your permission to officially cite this forum thread and your credentials in my appeal?

Thank you so much again for your expertise and for helping me navigate this stressful situation!
Alina Le 5,240 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-07-16T13:42:14.1633333+00:00

Hi

Thank you for your update.

As an Independent Advisor, I can only provide information and guidance to help you. Based on the information provided, you can double-check the details on your end.

If you need further assistance, feel free to come back with more information, and I will do my best to review it and help you further.