I'm running Windows 10 Home on my Desktop tower (originally Windows 7 computer)
Recently, I think Microsoft changed something, and I am no longer able to view word document AUTHORS. Let me explain;
I make daily word document files, and name them by date (ie: year/month/day/sequential call, for example 2017100501 indicates 2017, October, 5th, first call of the day)
Under FILE EXPLORER, I adjusted my view options, so I would list the Document name, and the "Author" (WHO the caller was, by name).
I have been doing this for 10 years, without problems. (YES; Different folders for each year. But they all share this new failure.)
The documents are saved in a "Word 97-2003 format" (.doc)
I have researched this problem like crazy.
Recently, the only way that I can see the "Author" name is if I save the document in the "Save As Type: WORD DOCUMENT" (.docx) format.

Naturally, we are about 200+ days into the year, and I have 200+ documents that I will have to Open, then "Save As", to convert them to the docx format, so I can refer back to them by "Author", or File Name.
(The online options to rename documents by group doesn't work as easily as I had hoped it would work)
Can anybody suggest something that I am overlooking, or un-aware of?


I don't believe that Office 2007 has come to the end of its life cycle, since Everything seems to work correctly if I save the new documents in the "docx" format.
Everything else works flawlessly, and I am very happy. This is just a minor frustration.
What am I missing?

This wouldn't be due to an Office 2007 update. If it's affecting File Explorer, it's a change in Win 10, but my own Win 10 system (I have both Win 7 & Win 10) hasn't been affected that way. It wouldn't hurt to repair Office 2007, though (e.g. via Word Options|Resources|Diagnose, or via Windows Control Panel > Programs > Programs & Features > Microsoft Office (version) > Change > Repair).

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks for the quick reply Paul.
I copied the 2017 directory from my DESKTOP computer and saved it on a USB memory stick. I then opened my Windows 10 LAPTOP, running Office 2007, and I am able to view the Author list in FILE EXPLORER, as normally as I have always done. No problem.
I already tried all the various Office repair programs, and made sure I had all the latest updates. That is why I originally thought one of the latest Microsoft updates killed my ability to view the list of Authors when I used FILE EXPLORER.
As I said; if I save the documents in the newer format (.docx) everything populates and lists correctly. Its only (my last 10 years) my older documents, saved in the ".doc" format that no longer populate the "AUTHOR" column in File Explorer.
I know; Its a strange a ridiculous problem. And it only happens on my DESKTOP.
I'll probably waste a rainy weekend and open/save as/ change all these 2017 ".doc" files over to "docx" files, one at a time. Frustrating!

OK, so you have two systems. Are they running the same Windows & Office versions?

As for file format conversions, there are plenty of macros around for that - so it doesn't have to be done manually - but presumably you'd need to convert the files from earlier years too, not just the 2017 files? And what about the files' date/time stamps?

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Yes. They both have their own legal licenses, but yes, they are the same versions.
Yes; there are macros around that will convert them. I tried one macro, and my copy of WORD wouldn't open the ".docx" document until I manually renamed it to the original ".doc" name.
Everything works fine on the laptop, though.
I checked and ran ccleaner, Vipre anti-virus, malwarebytes, Rkill, hitman pro, but came back clean.

Since both systems have the same Windows & Office versions, it seems the one that's no longer displaying the author details has developed a fault. Try using System Restore to reset it to a date before the problem manifested.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thank you. That might be the quickest and easiest way to solve this problem. As smart as I like to think that I am, on computers, I was frustrated because I was sure I must be overlooking something simple ("flip the switch" concept) that would make things work again. I'll do a system restore to a previous date (which was my "last ditch" option).

FYI; My 500GB hard drive died today. Can't get a shred of data off of it.
Fortunately, I made a full backup to my external hard drive two days ago, so I'm just smiling right now.

I re-installed the previous drive and updated. I'm working fine.