30.03.2020

Microsoft Word Mac Remove Personal Informaiton

Office 2019 is a one-time purchase that comes with classic apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for PC or Mac, and does not include any of the services that come with an Office 365 subscription. One-time purchases don’t have an upgrade option, which means if you plan to upgrade to the next major release, you'll have to buy it at full price. Mar 16, 2016 Most Mac applications use the operating system’s spell check feature, and share the same personal dictionary. So if you add a custom word to your dictionary in one application, other Mac apps won’t detect it as a typo in the future. But there’s no obvious way to remove a word from the dictionary if you accidentally add one. Jan 13, 2020 Information in this article applies to Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word for Mac. How to Remove Personal Information From a Word File Microsoft Word includes a tool called Document Inspector that removes personal information from your document before you share it with others.

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Applies to: Azure Information Protection

Microsoft Word For Mac Free

Instructions for: Azure Information Protection client for Windows

Note

To provide a unified and streamlined customer experience, Azure Information Protection client (classic) and Label Management in the Azure Portal are being deprecated as of March 31, 2021. This time-frame allows all current Azure Information Protection customers to transition to our unified labeling solution using the Microsoft Information Protection Unified Labeling platform. Learn more in the official deprecation notice.

Note

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These instructions apply to the Azure Information Protection client (classic) and not the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client. Not sure of the difference between these clients? See this FAQ.

If you are looking for information to configure a sensitivity label to apply Rights Management protection, see the Microsoft 365 Compliance documentation. For example, Restrict access to content by using encryption in sensitivity labels.

You can protect your most sensitive documents and emails by using a Rights Management service. This service uses encryption, identity, and authorization policies to help prevent data loss. The protection is applied with a label that is configured to use Rights Management protection for documents and emails, and users can also select the Do not forward button in Outlook.

When your label is configured with the protection setting of Azure (cloud key), under the covers, this action creates and configures a protection template that can then be accessed by services and applications that integrate with Rights Management templates. For example, Exchange Online and mail flow rules, and Outlook on the web.

How the protection works

When a document or email is protected by a Rights Management service, it is encrypted at rest and in transit. It can then be decrypted only by authorized users. This encryption stays with the document or email, even if it is renamed. In addition, you can configure usage rights and restrictions, such as the following examples:

  • Only users within your organization can open the company-confidential document or email.

  • Only users in the marketing department can edit and print the promotion announcement document or email, while all other users in your organization can only read this document or email.

  • Users cannot forward an email or copy information from it that contains news about an internal reorganization.

  • The current price list that is sent to business partners cannot be opened after a specified date.

For more information about the Azure Rights Management protection and how it works, see What is Azure Rights Management?

Important

To configure a label to apply this protection, the Azure Rights Management service must be activated for your organization. For more information, see Activating the protection service from Azure Information Protection.

When the label applies protection, a protected document is not suitable to be saved on SharePoint or OneDrive. These locations do not support the following features for protected files: Co-authoring, Office for the web, search, document preview, thumbnail, eDiscovery, and data loss prevention (DLP).

Tip

When you migrate your labels to unified sensitivity labels and publish them from one of the labeling admin centers such as the Microsoft 365 compliance center, labels that apply protection are then supported for these locations. For more information, see Enable sensitivity labels for Office files in SharePoint and OneDrive (public preview).

Exchange does not have to be configured for Azure Information Protection before users can apply labels in Outlook to protect their emails. However, until Exchange is configured for Azure Information Protection, you do not get the full functionality of using Azure Rights Management protection with Exchange. For example, users cannot view protected emails on mobile phones or with Outlook on the web, protected emails cannot be indexed for search, and you cannot configure Exchange Online DLP for Rights Management protection. To ensure that Exchange can support these additional scenarios, see the following resources:

  • For Exchange Online, see the instructions for Exchange Online: IRM Configuration.

  • For Exchange on-premises, you must deploy the RMS connector and configure your Exchange servers.

To configure a label for protection settings

  1. If you haven't already done so, open a new browser window and sign in to the Azure portal. Then navigate to the Azure Information Protection pane.

    For example, in the search box for resources, services, and docs: Start typing Information and select Azure Information Protection.

  2. From the Classifications > Labels menu option: On the Azure Information Protection - Labels pane, select the label you want to change.

  3. On the Label pane, locate Set permissions for documents and emails containing this label, and select one of the following options:

    • Not configured: Select this option if the label is currently configured to apply protection and you no longer want the selected label to apply protection. Then go to step 11.

      The previously configured protection settings are retained as an archived protection template, and will be displayed again if you change the option back to Protect. You do not see this template in the Azure portal but if necessary, you can still manage the template by using PowerShell. This behavior means that content remains accessible if it has this label with the previously applied protection settings.

      When a label with this Not configured protection setting is applied:

      • If the content was previously protected without using a label, that protection is preserved.

      • If the content was previously protected with a label, that protection is removed if the user applying the label has permissions to remove Rights Management protection. This requirement means that the user must have the Export or Full Controlusage right. Or, be the Rights Management owner (which automatically grants the Full Control usage right), or a super user for Azure Rights Management.

        If the user doesn't have permissions to remove protection, the label cannot be applied and the following message is displayed: Mac microsoft excel fill color in menu bar and grill. Azure Information Protection cannot apply this label. If this problem persists, contact your administrator.

    • Protect: Select this option to apply protection, and then go to step 4.

    • Remove Protection: Select this option to remove protection if a document or email is protected. Then go to step 11.

      If the protection was applied with a label or protection template, the protection settings are retained as an archived protection template, and will be displayed again if you change the option back to Protect. You do not see this template in the Azure portal but if necessary, you can still manage the template by using PowerShell. This behavior means that content remains accessible if it has this label with the previously applied protection settings.

      Note that for a user to successfully apply a label that has this option, that user must have permissions to remove Rights Management protection. This requirement means that the user must have the Export or Full Controlusage right. Or, be the Rights Management owner (which automatically grants the Full Control usage right), or a super user for Azure Rights Management.

      If the user applying the label with this setting does not have permissions to remove Rights Management protection, the label cannot be applied and the following message is displayed: Azure Information Protection cannot apply this label. If this problem persists, contact your administrator.

  4. If you selected Protect, the Protection pane automatically opens if one of the other options were previously selected. If this new pane does not automatically open, select Protection:

  5. On the Protection pane, select Azure (cloud key) or HYOK (AD RMS).

    In most cases, select Azure (cloud key) for your permission settings. Do not select HYOK (AD RMS) unless you have read and understood the prerequisites and restrictions that accompany this 'hold your own key' (HYOK) configuration. For more information, see Hold your own key (HYOK) requirements and restrictions for AD RMS protection. To continue the configuration for HYOK (AD RMS), go to step 9.

  6. Select one of the following options:

    • Set permissions: To define new protection settings in this portal.

    • Set user-defined permissions (Preview): To let users specify who should be granted permissions and what those permissions are. You can then refine this option and choose Outlook only, or Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and File Explorer. This option is not supported, and does not work, when a label is configured for automatic classification.

      If you choose the option for Outlook: The label is displayed in Outlook and the resulting behavior when users apply the label is the same as the Do Not Forward option.

      If you choose the option for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and File Explorer: When this option is set, the label is displayed in these applications. The resulting behavior when users apply the label is to display the dialog box for users to select custom permissions. In this dialog box, users choose one of the predefined permissions levels, browse to or specify the users or groups, and optionally, set an expiry date. Make sure that users have instructions and guidance how to supply these values.

    • Select a predefined template: To use one of the default templates or a custom template that you've configured. Note that this option does not display for new labels, or if you are editing a label that previously used the Set permissions option.

      To select a predefined template, the template must be published (not archived) and must not be linked already to another label. When you select this option, you can use an Edit Template button to convert the template into a label.

      If you are used to creating and editing custom templates, you might find it useful to reference Tasks that you used to do with the Azure classic portal.

  7. If you selected Set permissions for Azure (cloud key), this option lets you select users and usage rights.

    If you don't select any users and select OK on this pane, followed by Save on the Label pane: The label is configured to apply protection such that only the person who applies the label can open the document or email with no restrictions. This configuration is sometimes referred to as 'Just for me' and might be the required outcome, so that a user can save a file to any location and be assured that only they can open it. If this outcome matches your requirement and others are not required to collaborate on the protected content, do not select Add permissions. After saving the label, the next time you open this Protection pane, you see IPC_USER_ID_OWNER displayed for Users, and Co-Owner displayed for Permissions to reflect this configuration.

    To specify the users you want to be able to open protected documents and emails, select Add permissions. Then on the Add permissions pane, select the first set of users and groups who will have rights to use the content that will be protected by the selected label:

    • Choose Select from the list where you can then add all users from your organization by selecting Add <organization name> - All members. This setting excludes guest accounts. Or, you can select Add any authenticated users, or browse the directory.

      When you choose all members or browse the directory, the users or groups must have an email address. In a production environment, users and groups nearly always have an email address, but in a simple testing environment, you might need to add email addresses to user accounts or groups.

      More information about Add any authenticated users

      This setting doesn't restrict who can access the content that the label protects, while still encrypting the content and providing you with options to restrict how the content can be used (permissions), and accessed (expiry and offline access). However, the application opening the protected content must be able to support the authentication being used. For this reason, federated social providers such as Google, and onetime passcode authentication should be used for email only, and only when you use Exchange Online and the new capabilities from Office 365 Message Encryption. Microsoft accounts can be used with the Azure Information Protection viewer and Office 365 apps (Click-to-Run).

      Some typical scenarios for the any authenticated users setting:

      • You don't mind who views the content, but you want to restrict how it is used. For example, you do not want the content to be edited, copied, or printed.
      • You don't need to restrict who accesses the content, but you want to be able to track who opens it and potentially, revoke it.
      • You have a requirement that the content must be encrypted at rest and in transit, but it doesn't require access controls.

    • Choose Enter details to manually specify email addresses for individual users or groups (internal or external). Or, use this option to specify all users in another organization by entering any domain name from that organization. You can also use this option for social providers, by entering their domain name such as gmail.com, hotmail.com, or outlook.com.

      Note

      If an email address changes after you select the user or group, see the Considerations if email addresses change section from the planning documentation.

      As a best practice, use groups rather than users. This strategy keeps your configuration simpler and makes it less likely that you have to update your label configuration later and then reprotect content. However, if you make changes to the group, keep in mind that for performance reasons, Azure Rights Management caches the group membership.

    When you have specified the first set of users and groups, select the permissions to grant these users and groups. For more information about the permissions that you can select, see Configuring usage rights for Azure Information Protection. However, applications that support this protection might vary in how they implement these permissions. Consult their documentation and do your own testing with the applications that users use to check the behavior before you deploy the template for users.

    If required, you can now add a second set of users and groups with usage rights. Repeat until you have specified all the users and groups with their respective permissions.

    Tip

    Consider adding the Save As, Export (EXPORT) custom permission and grant this permission to data recovery administrators or personnel in other roles that have responsibilities for information recovery. If needed, these users can then remove protection from files and emails that will be protected by using this label or template. This ability to remove protection at the permission level for a document or email provides more fine-grained control than the super user feature.

    For all the users and groups that you specified, on the Protection pane, now check whether you want to make any changes to the following settings. Note that these settings, as with the permissions, do not apply to the Rights Management issuer or Rights Management owner, or any super user that you have assigned.

    Information about the protection settings
    SettingMore informationRecommended setting
    File Content ExpirationDefine a date or number of days for when documents that are protected by these settings should not open for the selected users. For emails, expiration isn't always enforced because of caching mechanisms used by some email clients.
    You can specify a date or specify a number of days starting from the time that the protection is applied to the content.
    When you specify a date, it is effective midnight, in your current time zone.    		Content never expires unless the content has a specific time-bound requirement.
    Allow offline accessUse this setting to balance any security requirements that you have (includes access after revocation) with the ability for the selected users to open protected content when they don't have an internet connection.
    If you specify that content is not available without an internet connection or that content is only available for a specified number of days, when that threshold is reached, these users must be reauthenticated and their access is logged. When this happens, if their credentials are not cached, the users are prompted to sign in before they can open the document or email.
    In addition to reauthentication, the policy and the user group membership is reevaluated. This means that users could experience different access results for the same document or email if there are changes in the policy or group membership from when they last accessed the content. That could include no access if the document has been revoked.    		Depending on how sensitive the content is:
    - Number of days the content is available without an internet connection = 7 for sensitive business data that could cause damage to the business if shared with unauthorized people. This recommendation offers a balanced compromise between flexibility and security. Examples include contracts, security reports, forecast summaries, and sales account data.
    - Never for very sensitive business data that would cause damage to the business if it was shared with unauthorized people. This recommendation prioritizes security over flexibility, and ensures that if the document is revoked, all authorized users immediately cannot open the document. Examples include employee and customer information, passwords, source code, and pre-announced financial reports.

    When you have finished configuring the permissions and settings, click OK.

    This grouping of settings creates a custom template for the Azure Rights Management service. These templates can be used with applications and services that integrate with Azure Rights Management. For information about how computers and services download and refresh these templates, see Refreshing templates for users and services.

  8. If you selected Select a predefined template for Azure (cloud key), click the drop-down box and select the template that you want to use to protect documents and emails with this label. You do not see archived templates or templates that are already selected for another label.

    If you select a departmental template, or if you have configured onboarding controls:

    • Users who are outside the configured scope of the template or who are excluded from applying Azure Rights Management protection still see the label but cannot apply it. If they select the label, they see the following message: Azure Information Protection cannot apply this label. If this problem persists, contact your administrator.

      Note that all published templates are always shown, even if you are configuring a scoped policy. For example, you are configuring a scoped policy for the Marketing group. The templates that you can select are not restricted to templates that are scoped to the Marketing group and it's possible to select a departmental template that your selected users cannot use. For ease of configuration and to minimize troubleshooting, consider naming the departmental template to match the label in your scoped policy.

  9. If you selected HYOK (AD RMS), select either Set AD RMS templates details or Set user defined permissions (Preview). Then specify the licensing URL of your AD RMS cluster.

    For instructions to specify a template GUID and your licensing URL, see Locating the information to specify AD RMS protection with an Azure Information Protection label.

    The user-defined permissions option lets users specify who should be granted permissions and what those permissions are. You can then refine this option and choose Outlook only (the default), or Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and File Explorer. This option is not supported, and does not work, when a label is configured for automatic classification.

    If you choose the option for Outlook: The label is displayed in Outlook and the resulting behavior when users apply the label is the same as the Do Not Forward option.

    If you choose the option for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and File Explorer: When this option is set, the label is displayed in these applications. The resulting behavior when users apply the label is to display the dialog box for users to select custom permissions. In this dialog box, users choose one of the predefined permissions levels, browse to or specify the users or groups, and optionally, set an expiry date. Make sure that users have instructions and guidance how to supply these values.

  10. Click OK to close the Protection pane and see your choice of User defined or your chosen template display for the Protection option in the Label pane.

  11. On the Label pane, click Save.

  12. On the Azure Information Protection pane, use the PROTECTION column to confirm that your label now displays the protection setting that you want:

    • A check mark if you have configured protection.

    • An x mark to denote cancellation if you have configured a label to remove protection.

    • A blank field when protection is not set.

When you clicked Save, your changes are automatically available to users and services. There's no longer a separate publish option.

Example configurations

The All Employees and Recipients Only sublabels from the Confidential and High Confidential labels from the default policy provide examples of how you can configure labels that apply protection. You can also use the following examples to help you configure protection for different scenarios.

For each example that follows, on your <label name> pane, select Protect. If the Protection pane doesn't automatically open, select Protection to open this pane that lets you select your protection configuration options:

Example 1: Label that applies Do Not Forward to send a protected email to a Gmail account

This label is available only in Outlook and is suitable when Exchange Online is configured for the new capabilities in Office 365 Message Encryption. Instruct users to select this label when they need to send a protected email to people using a Gmail account (or any other email account outside your organization).

Your users type the Gmail email address in the To box. Then, they select the label and the Do Not Forward option is automatically added to the email. The result is that recipients cannot forward the email, or print it, copy from it, or save the email outside their mailbox by using the Save As option.

  1. On the Protection pane, make sure that Azure (cloud key) is selected.

  2. Select Set user-defined permissions (Preview).

  3. Make sure that the following option is selected: In Outlook apply Do Not Forward.

  4. If selected, clear the following option: In Word, Excel, PowerPoint and File Explorer prompt user for custom permissions.

  5. Click OK on the Protection pane, and then click Save on the Label pane.

Example 2: Label that restricts read-only permission to all users in another organization, and that supports immediate revocation

This label is suitable for sharing (read-only) very sensitive documents that always require an internet connection to view it. If revoked, users will not be able to view the document the next time they try to open it.

This label is not suitable for emails.

  1. On the Protection pane, make sure that Azure (cloud key) is selected.

  2. Make sure that the Set permissions option is selected, and then select Add permissions.

  3. On the Add permissions pane, select Enter details.

  4. Enter the name of a domain from the other organization, for example, fabrikam.com. Then select Add.

  5. From Choose permissions from preset, select Viewer, and then select OK.

  6. Back on the Protection pane, for Allow offline access setting, select Never.

  7. Click OK on the Protection pane, and then click Save on the Label pane.

Example 3: Add external users to an existing label that protects content

The new users that you add will be able open documents and emails that have already been protected with this label. The permissions that you grant these users can be different from the permissions that the existing users have.

  1. On the Protection pane, make sure Azure (cloud key) is selected.

  2. Ensure that Set permissions is selected, and then select Add permissions.

  3. On the Add permissions pane, select Enter details.

  4. Enter the email address of the first user (or group) to add, and then select Add.

  5. Select the permissions for this user (or group).

  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each user (or group) that you want to add to this label. Then click OK.

  7. Click OK on the Protection pane, and then click Save on the Label pane.

Example 4: Label for protected email that supports less restrictive permissions than Do Not Forward

This label cannot be restricted to Outlook but does provide less restrictive controls than using Do Not Forward. For example, you want the recipients to be able to copy from the email or an attachment, or save and edit an attachment.

If you specify external users who do not have an account in Azure AD:

  • The label is suitable for email when Exchange Online is using the new capabilities in Office 365 Message Encryption.

  • For Office attachments that are automatically protected, these documents are available to view in a browser. To edit these documents, download and edit them with Office 365 apps (Click-to-Run), and a Microsoft account that uses the same email address. More information

Note

Exchange Online is rolling out a new option, Encrypt-Only. This option is not available for label configuration. However, when you know who the recipients will be, you can use this example to configure a label with the same set of usage rights.

When your users specify the email addresses in the To box, the addresses must be for the same users that you specify for this label configuration. Because users can belong to groups and have more than one email address, the email address that they specify does not have to match the email address that you specify for the permissions. However, specifying the same email address is the easiest way to ensure that the recipient will be successfully authorized. For more information about how users are authorized for permissions, see Preparing users and groups for Azure Information Protection.

  1. On the Protection pane, make sure that Azure (cloud key) is selected.

  2. Make sure Set permissions is selected, and select Add permissions.

  3. On the Add permissions pane: To grant permissions to users in your organization, select Add <organization name> - All members to select all users in your tenant. This setting excludes guest accounts. Or, select Browse directory to select a specific group. To grant permissions to external users or if you prefer to type the email address, select Enter details and type the email address of the user, or Azure AD group, or a domain name.

    Repeat this step to specify additional users who should have the same permissions.

  4. For Choose permissions from preset, select Co-Owner, Co-Author, Reviewer, or Custom to select the permissions that you want to grant.

    Note: Do not select Viewer for emails and if you do select Custom, make sure that you include Edit and Save.

    To select the same permissions that match the new Encrypt-Only option from Exchange Online, select Custom. Then select all permissions except Save As, Export (EXPORT) and Full Control (OWNER).

  5. To specify additional users who should have different permissions, repeat steps 3 and 4.

  6. Click OK on the Add permissions pane.

  7. Click OK on the Protection pane, and then click Save on the Label pane.

Example 5: Label that encrypts content but doesn't restrict who can access it

This configuration has the advantage that you don't need to specify users, groups, or domains to protect an email or document. The content will still be encrypted and you can still specify usage rights, an expiry date, and offline access. Use this configuration only when you do not need to restrict who can open the protected document or email. More information about this setting

  1. On the Protection pane, make sure Azure (cloud key) is selected.

  2. Make sure Set permissions is selected, and then select Add permissions.

  3. On the Add permissions pane, on the Select from the list tab, select Add any authenticated users.

  4. Select the permissions you want, and click OK.

  5. Back on the Protection pane, configure settings for File Content Expiration and Allow offline access, if needed, and then click OK.

  6. On the Label pane, select Save.

Example 6: Label that applies 'Just for me' protection

This configuration offers the opposite of secure collaboration for documents: With the exception of a super user, only the person who applies the label can open the protected content, without any restrictions. This configuration is often referred to as 'Just for me' protection and is suitable when a user wants to save a file to any location and be assured that only they can open it.

The label configuration is deceptively simple:

  1. On the Protection pane, make sure Azure (cloud key) is selected.

  2. Select OK without selecting any users, or configuring any settings on this pane.

    Although you can configure settings for File Content Expiration and Allow offline access, when you do not specify users and their permisisons, these access settings are not applicable. That's because the person who applies the protection is the Rights Management issuer for the content, and this role is exempt from these access restrictions.

  3. On the Label pane, select Save.

Next steps

For more information about configuring your Azure Information Protection policy, use the links in the Configuring your organization's policy section.

Exchange mail flow rules can also apply protection, based on your labels. For more information and examples, see Configuring Exchange Online mail flow rules for Azure Information Protection labels.

On Windows 10, when you create an Office document using Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, alongside the content, the file can also include personal information and hidden data (such as the name of the author, metadata, hidden text, and comments), which you may not want to share with other people.

If you're planning to share a document, it's always a good idea to use the 'Document Inspector' feature available in Office 365, Office 2019, 2016, or older versions to review and remove any hidden information before sharing the document to protect your privacy.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to remove personal information, as well as hidden data, from an Office document that you're about to publish online or share with others.

How to inspect and remove personal data from Word document in Office

To inspect and remove personal information before sharing a Word document, use these steps:

Important: If you think that you may need this information at some point in the future, it's recommended to remove the personal and hidden data from a copy of the document.

  1. Open the Word document.
  2. Click on File.
  3. Click on Info.

  4. On the right side, click the Check for Issues menu.

    Quick tip: Under the 'Inspect Document' section, you'll see an overview of the contents that you may want to remove from the file.

  5. Select the Inspect Document option.

  6. Check the contents that you want to inspect. For instance, in Microsoft Word, you can remove this information:

    • Comments, Revisions, and Versions.
    • Documents Properties and Personal Information.
    • Task Pane Add-ins.
    • Embedded Documents.
    • Macros, Forms, and ActiveX Controls.
    • Ink.
    • Collapsed Headings.
    • Custom XML Data.
    • Headers, Footers, and Watermarks.
    • Invisible Content.
    • Hidden Text.

  7. Click the Inspect button.

  8. Click the Remove all button for the information that you want to remove.

  9. Click the Reinspect button.
  10. Click the Inspect button again.
  11. If the document is clean, click the Close button. Otherwise, click the Remove all button to clear the information.

Once you complete these steps, you can safely publish or share the Microsoft Word document with other users without giving away your personal information or specific content.

Are you running an older version of Office? If so, you're missing out. If you switch to an Office 365 subscription, you can always upgrade to the newest version to access the latest features at no extra cost, and you get many other benefits, such as sharing the apps with other users and 1TB of OneDrive storage.

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Office 365 gives you full access to all the apps and perks, such as 1TB OneDrive storage and Skype minutes. You can also install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps on up to five devices, and depending on the subscription, you can share the account with up to five people.

How to inspect and remove personal data from an Excel document in Office

To inspect and remove personal information before sharing an Excel spreadsheet, use these steps:

Microsoft Word Mac Remove Personal Information From Computer

  1. Open the Excel document.
  2. Click on File.
  3. Click on Info.
  4. On the right side, click the Check for Issues menu.

  5. Select the Inspect Document option.

    Quick tip: In the rare case that you've saved the spreadsheet as a Shared Workbook, you won't be able to remove any hidden information. If you have to delete any information, you'll need to make a copy of the file, and then disable the Shared Workbook from the 'Review' tab.

  6. Check the contents that you want to inspect. For instance, in Microsoft Excel, you can remove this information:

    • Comments.
    • Documents Properties and Personal Information.
    • Data Model.
    • Content Add-ins.
    • Task Pane Add-ins.
    • PivotTables, PivotCharts, Cube Formulas, Slicers, and Timelines.
    • Embedded Documents.
    • Macros, Forms, and ActiveX Controls.
    • Links to Other Files.
    • Real Time Data Functions.
    • Excel Surveys.
    • Defined Scenarios.
    • Active Filters.
    • Custom Worksheet Properties.
    • Hidden Names.
    • Ink.
    • Custom XML Data.
    • Headers and Footers.
    • Hidden Rows and Columns.
    • Hidden Worksheets.
    • Invisible Content.

  7. Click the Inspect button.

  8. Click the Remove all button for the information that you want to remove.

  9. Click the Reinspect button.
  10. Click the Inspect button again.
  11. If the document is clean, click the Close button. Otherwise, click the Remove all button to clear the information.

After you complete the steps, you can share the Excel spreadsheet with colleagues or clients without also sharing your personal information.

How to inspect and remove personal data from PowerPoint document in Office

To inspect and remove personal information before sharing a PowerPoint presentation, use these steps:

  1. Open the PowerPoint document.
  2. Click on File.
  3. Click on Info.
  4. On the right side, click the Check for Issues menu.

  5. Select the Inspect Document option.

  6. Check the contents that you want to inspect. For instance, in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can remove this information:

    • Comments.
    • Documents Properties and Personal Information.
    • Content Add-ins.
    • Take Pane Add-ins.
    • Embedded Documents.
    • Macro, Forms, and ActiveX controls.
    • Revision Tracking Data.
    • Ink.
    • Custom XML Data.
    • Invisible On-Slide Content.
    • Off-Slide Content.
    • Presentation Notes.

  7. Click the Inspect button.

  8. Click the Remove all button for the information that you want to remove.

  9. Click the Reinspect button.
  10. Click the Inspect button again.
  11. If the document is clean, click the Close button. Otherwise, click the Remove all button to clear the information.

Once you complete the steps, you can publish the PowerPoint presentation online or share it with other people without giving away your personal information.

More Windows 10 resources

Microsoft Word For Mac

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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Hi, I'm Mauro Huculak, Windows Central's help and how-to guru. I wrote the post you're reading now, and I know the Windows OS inside and out. But I'm also a bit of a hardware geek. These are some of the affordable gadgets on my desk today.

Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse($72 at Amazon)

I know mice, and this is the one I use every day. The MX Master is a wireless high-precision mouse that's very comfortable to use and has many great features, including the ability to connect with multiple devices, an infinite scroll wheel, back and forward buttons, all of which you can customize.

Ktrio Extended Gaming Mouse Pad($12 at Amazon)

If you spend a lot of time typing, your palms and mouse will leave tracks on your desk. My solution was to start using gaming mouse pads, which are big enough for you to use the keyboard and the mouse comfortably. This is the one I use and recommend.

Supernight LED light strip($20 at Amazon)

You could just use a regular light bulb in your office, but if you want to add some ambient lighting with different colors, an RGB LED strip is the way to go. This one is Mauro-approved.

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Make Meetings Fun

Microsoft now lets you spice up your Teams calls with custom backgrounds

With more people now working from home, Microsoft is beefing up Teams with several new features. One of the biggest is the ability to add custom backgrounds during video calls to add a little fun to the experience.