Using Track Changes

Tracking changes in a document allows you to make revisions to a document without losing the original text. Word shows changed text in a different color from the original text and uses revision marks, such as underlines, to distinguish the revised text from the original. You can review changes by using the Reviewing toolbar, which contains buttons that let you accept and reject changes and comments. If you compare and merge two documents, you can review the changes and accept or reject the results.

Track Changes as You Work

Open the document you want to edit.

Click the Tools menu _' and then click Track Changes. The TRK box on the Status bar becomes active.

TIMESAVER Double-click TRK on the status bar or press Ctrl+Shift+E to turn tracking on or off.

Make changes to your document. The changes are reflected using alternate color characters , along with comments in balloons at the side of the screen (if you are in Print Layout view) or displayed in a separate window at the bottom of the screen (if you are in Normal view).

Click the Track Changes button on the Reviewing toolbar to turn off track changes.

Did You Know?

You can show or hide balloons . Click the Tools menu _' click Options, click the Track Changes tab, click the Use Balloons list arrow, and then select Always, Never, or Only for Comments/Formatting.

Review Changes

Open the document you want to review.

Click the View menu _' point to Toolbars _' and then click Reviewing.

Use the buttons on the Reviewing toolbar to review changes:

• Click the Next button or the Previous button to view changes one at a time.

• Click the Accept Change button or the Reject Change/Delete Comment button to respond to the revisions.

• Click the Accept Change button list arrow, and then click Accept All Changes In Document to accept all changes at once.

• Click the Reject Change button list arrow, and then click Reject All Changes In Document to reject all changes at once.

Did You Know?

You can display different versions of reviewing marks . Click the Display For Review list arrow on the Reviewing toolbar, and then select an option (Final Showing Markup, Final, Original Showing Markup, or Original).

You can show or hide individual reviewers . Click the Show button on the Reviewing toolbar, point to Reviewers, and then click the reviewer you want to show or hide.