my total editing time is showing zero

Adewumi James 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T16:58:08.13+00:00

i have been working on a document on word, and i just realised my total editing time is showing zero on properties, how do i fix it.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For education | Windows
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  1. Charles Kenyon 172K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-11-10T03:44:11.64+00:00

    Total editing time statistic is virtually meaningless. It is reset if you use Save As to apply a different name.

    It does not mean how much time you spent editing the document, anyway. It reflects how much time the document was open on your computer, even if not on the screen, even if you were in bed, asleep.

    See my article on this: The lack of forensic value of the document "statistics" kept and created in Word https://addbalance.com/articles/The%20lack%20of%20forensic%20value%20of%20the%20document%20'statistics'%20kept%20and%20reported%20by%20Microsoft%20Word.htm.

    If you want to reset it, open it on your computer and leave the computer on for a day or so. Then type a space and backspace to get rid of that space (not undo) and save your document. It will still be meaningless, but will look like you spent more time on it.

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  2. Jay1 Tran 1,995 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-09T17:28:45.4633333+00:00

    Hi Adewumi James,

    Thank you for reaching out.

    The Total Editing Time property in Microsoft Word is not necessarily a live timer. It records editing time maintained in the document's metadata, and it may remain at zero if Word has not updated the property or if the document was created, copied, or saved in a way that did not preserve that metadata.

    To resolve the issue, please try the following steps:

    1. Save and Reopen the Document
    • Press Ctrl + S to save the document.
    • Continue editing it for a few minutes.
    • Save the document again.
    • Close Word completely, then reopen the document.
    • Return to File > Info > Properties > Advanced Properties > Statistics and check whether the value has changed.

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    1. Test a New Document
    • Open Word and create a Blank document.
    • Enter some text and continue editing it for several minutes.
    • Save the document as a .docx file on your computer.
    • Close and reopen the document.
    • Check its total editing time under Advanced Properties > Statistics.
    1. Run an Online Repair

    If the total editing time also remains at zero in the new document, repair your Microsoft 365 installation:

    • Close Word and all other Microsoft 365 applications.
    • Right-click the Windows Start button and select Installed apps.

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    • Find Microsoft 365 in the list.
    • Select the three-dot menu next to Microsoft 365 and choose Modify.

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    • If Windows requests permission, select Yes.
    • Choose Online Repair, then select Repair.

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    • Wait for the repair to finish and restart your computer.
    • Open Word and repeat the test with a new document.

    I hope your issue gets resolved soon. Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-11-09T16:58:48.7266667+00:00

    You cannot manually correct or recover Word’s Total editing time for work that was not recorded; save the document normally for future sessions and use Version History or file timestamps to demonstrate earlier work.

    Word’s Total editing time is an automatically maintained property representing accumulated time between opening and saving the document—not a reliable record of active writing time.^1^ Automatically updated Office properties cannot be manually changed.^2^

    Check the value inside Word

    1. Save the document with File → Save or press Ctrl+S.
    2. Close and reopen it.
    3. Select File → Info → Properties → Advanced Properties → Statistics.
    4. Check Total editing time there rather than relying only on Windows File Explorer.

    Using Save As, creating a copy, moving the file, or applying certain metadata changes can result in a copied or reset editing-time value. The property also measures how long the document was open between saves, not how long someone was actively typing.^3^

    If Word shows a value but File Explorer shows zero or no value, update Office:

    1. Open Word.
    2. Go to File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.
    3. Restart Word after installation.

    Microsoft previously fixed an issue where Office properties appeared inside Office but not in File Explorer.^4^

    Recover evidence of earlier work

    If the document is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint:

    1. Open the document.
    2. Select its title and choose Version History.
    3. Open earlier versions to see their saved states and timestamps.

    Version History is available only for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.^5^

    For a local file, use File Explorer:

    1. Right-click the document and select Properties.
    2. Record the Created, Modified, and Accessed timestamps.
    3. Retain drafts, backups, emailed copies, research notes, and other timestamped supporting files.

    A zero value does not establish that no editing occurred. If this concerns an assignment, explain that Total editing time is limited metadata rather than an audit trail, and provide Version History or file timestamps instead.

    References

    1. System.Document.TotalEditingTime
    2. View or change the properties for an Office file | Microsoft Support
    3. Word Editing Time - Microsoft Q&A
    4. Windows File Explorer does not display the Office document properties | Microsoft Support
    5. View previous versions of Office files | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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