Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Setting User Information.

Setting User Information

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 20, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

When you first install Word, it asks you for your name so it can personalize the registration for your program. It also writes your name into the user area. This area includes your name and initials and can include your address. This information is used by various Word fields, in the document summary information, in annotations, and in the Envelopes and Labels feature.

If you need to change the user information (for instance, if your name or address changes), follow these steps:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
Click Popular (Word 2007) or General (later versions of Word) at the left side of the dialog box. (It may already be selected, by default, in the dialog box.) (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The General options of the Word Options dialog box.

Change the User Name and Initials options, as desired.
Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
Scroll down until you see the General settings. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The Advanced options of the Word Options dialog box.

Change you Mailing Address, as desired.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9539) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Setting User Information.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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