NicolTIP#016: How to Set/Reset the revision number in a Word 2010 document
When I work for a customer, can happen that I use a document as “template” to build a new one (copy –> paste –> rename –> delete some chapter and start writing).
I know that this is not the best way to proceed but, sometimes I find this procedure very quick a practical.
Side effect of this behavior is that the “revision number” of the new document continue to grow starting from the revision number of the previous document.
Well, I cant find on internet a quick way to reset this number and the solution provided by https://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2008/01/09/how-can-i-reset-the-revision-number-of-a-word-document-to-1.aspx looks to complex for me:-)
…BTW it doesn’t allow to set revision number to a specific value different than “1”.
Yesterday I just realized that now the Word format is “open” and “human readable” so after some test, I discovered the following solution:
- The .docx file is simply a .zip file, this means that if you rename it to .zip, you can open it with WinZip, WinRar and so on
- Rename .docx to .zip and open the file with your preferred archive editor
- Open the file \docProps\core.xml
- Search for “ <cp:revision>xxx</cp:revision> ” where “xxx” is the actual revision number
- Change xxx with your favorite new number
- Save the file core.xml into your zip again
- Rename .zip back to .docx
Comments
Anonymous
July 13, 2010
AMAZING! I've been trying to do this since word 97.Anonymous
November 15, 2017
Wonderful!