Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

How to modify the custom People/Groups type column of a SharePoint List using Lists.ASMX

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Updating the “Created By” and “Modified By” Columns in SharePoint lists

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Thinks Ever had the good old System Account show up as your author or editor, oops I mean “Created

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re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

Dag — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:22:50 GMT

When modifying views for a discussion list, the Created by column can only be edited to show Name or department etc. This is pointless because the only value allowed is the system account. Other columns can be edited to show a calculated value like [emailaddress from]. This value can be fetched from the element that is added to the list.

Will the code that you have written here make it possible to add another value to the "created by"-field that shows as an example where the element is origining from.

My problem is that we want to use Sharepoint as a substitute for public folders. This works great for emails sent to this list(discussion lists) from internal users. When sent from external users "the created by" shows only system account. When synchronizing this folder to outlook the message appears to be from the system account, and cannot be replied to(Thank you Microsoft). I want this system account to go away for discussions lists. The created by field should show the email-address from the sender.

Is ths possible with this code, and where is it supposed to be added

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

sowmyancs — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:52:02 GMT

If the users are completely from outside, then we can't update the created by column with that name. You will get an idea about a work-around to this concern from this post.

http://blogs.msdn.com/sowmyancs/archive/2008/09/10/a-possible-usage-of-people-asmx-and-usergroup-asmx-and-lists-asmx.aspx.

However atleast the domain should be detectable by the SharePoint. But in this situation, I think you have to maintain a custom column which will keep this information and use an event handler ItemAdded or ItemAdding to update that column with the current login user's information.

You can try to attach an event handler to the list (ItemAdded or ItemAdding) and then try to get the current user's email ID and update it in the custom column. Let me know if this will work for you.

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

arosoccer — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:54:10 GMT

Does this approach also work for editing the "Author" field in Document Libraries. I can use this to edit in Lists fine, but when I run it with a Document Library nothing happens.

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

arosoccer — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:18:41 GMT

Also I tried your approach about renaming the file from your post "Programmatically rename a file inside a SharePoint document library" this renamed the document fine but the Author still wouldn't change.

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

sowmyancs — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:47:51 GMT

Thanks much for noticing this...actually the sample code I have posted here is without testing it with the document library. I have tested it out and saw the behaviour, I am investigating it and will update you definitily once I got the root cause.

Thanks again !

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re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

Tasneem Nomani — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:27:26 GMT

I want to submit the form annonymously. i:e have no value in the "created by" field.

Is that possible?

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

sowmyancs — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:25:27 GMT

If you run your site in anonymous access, then the site will be running with the account IUSR_Machinename as the current user. So, it can't identify who is actually submitting the form and thus we can't update that field.

Remove Read-Only on "Created By", etc.

Dan — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:45:27 GMT

Ok, I've scoured the web for an easy way to do this without writing any code. Here's my solution:

1) Open the file (make a copy beforehand):

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\GLOBAL\XML\ONET.XML

2) Browse to the part where it says <BaseType Title="Generic List" (in my case, I needed to change the "created by" and "modified by" attributes of a list)

3) Scroll down a few lines to where it says FieldID and then "ColName="tp_Author" (created by) and also the linke "ColName="tp_Editor" (modified by)

4) Remove ReadOnly="TRUE" from the line

5) recycle the sharepoint IIS website and application pool

6) Now open your list in a datasheet list view where you've added the 2 columns "modified by" and "created by".

These fields should now be editable with simple cut/paste, etc..

Hope this helps out some other frustrated sharepoint admins who are not trained developers!

PS - don't forget to reset the attributes back to read only when you're done with the modifications...

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

AVI — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:17:54 GMT

Refer following blog to programmatically modify "Created By" and "Modified By" field values in SharePoint list:

http://etechplanet.com/post/2008/12/06/How-to-change-the-values-of-Created-By-and-Modified-By-fields-in-SharePoint-list.aspx

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

SPOLLACK — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:34:43 GMT

Have you ever ran into when the Modified will switch to non RO, but the Created stays RO? I am using the Absense template from MS, and I cannot get the created to go NON RO, we would like to be able to change the field if we are putting in vacation for someone other that yourself.

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

sowmyancs — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 08:28:27 GMT

to be frank I didn't get what is meant by "RO"/ "non RO" :), could you please help me to understand what is it?

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

linusanjelo — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:03:34 GMT

have you found a workaround on how to get the "created by" field in document libraries updated/edited?

is the remove read-only on created by applicable to both lists and document libraries? and what do you mean when you said

5) recycle the sharepoint IIS website and application pool

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

JoeS — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:09:15 GMT

linusangelo: If you don't understand that, I strongly advise against you even trying this workaround.

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

Bob — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:28:58 GMT

Nice,

So you start your article saying "Of course you can" to end with a little comment "Well.. actually it doesn't work with document libraries"

Good!

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

sowmyancs — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:00:50 GMT

Thanks for your suggestion Bob :), well, actually it does work through a work around as I have mentioned, though it will not work with the sample code that I have posted here.

I have modfied the last paragraph. Thanks for your suggestions.

Thanks,

Sowmyan

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re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

vikash — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:26:43 GMT

Hi Sowmyan,

the code looks fine, but if a user doesnt have Edit access then you have to elevate the user permission , at that time code runs under system account , thou you keep current user id outside of the scope , but when the code reach to the oListItem.Update() then the final update will be done under system account , so the Author filed may be given user but modified by will be by system account . please let me know if i am wrong,

Thanks & Regards,

Vikash Shamra

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

Darrin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:08:59 GMT

If you're like me and don't have access to the servers to use the API or change the XML files directly then just use the Lists.asmx web service. No IIS reset required! Of course you have to be familiar with writing web service calls.

1. Get the List XML definition for all columns (GetList).

2. Pull out the Author and Editor XML for the columns.

3. Change ReadOnly="TRUE" to ReadOnly="FALSE" on both.

4. Submit the web service request method UpdateList with the your XML in the update fields parameter.

5. Edit your list in DataSheet view with the Modified By and Created By columns on there. Or you can use the web service again (UpdateListItems).

6. Do step 3 and 4 to change it back to ReadOnly="TRUE"

Check out the Lists.asmx MSDN reference to get your calls right.

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

Mark — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:20:55 GMT

In our discussion board the 'Modified By' column takes the name of the person who last changed the subject not contributed to the discussion.

Is there a way to have the 'Modified By' field take the name of the last user to edit/contribute to the discussion thread?

Thanks,

re: Can we update the values of "Created By", "Modified By" columns in SharePoint lists ?

sowmyan — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:33:09 GMT

have you tried to attach an event handler try to modify the column by disabling and enabling the event in the code ?