Word 2007
Working with Tracked Changes
Trish Challans, January 2011
By default Word uses a different colour for each
reviewer’s comments and changes in a document.
Working with Tracked Changes and
Comments
You can specify a colour for all comments, insertions,
deletions and formatting by selecting a colour from the
colour lists.
Configure Reviewing Settings
When you want to edit and view tracked changes, it is
easy to do with Microsoft Word 2007. You can
collaborate on a document with others, track and
merge other people’s comments, high light specific
information or you can track changes for your own
purpose.
1.
Click on the down arrow
against Track Changes
icon and select the
Change Tracking
Options.
2. This will open the Track
Changes Options box.
To work with the tools for this you need to have the
Review ribbon open.
This ribbon has all the icons required to edit and track
changes within a document.
If you are working on a document that other users are
going to collaborate on then one of the first things you
need to do is to let Word know how to identify the
marks you create. You do this by configuring your user
name in Word, and to get the best results each person
who is going to work on the document should
configure theirs as well
The default setting is that By
Author is selected for Insertions, Deletions, and
Comments. This means that Word automatically
assigns a different colour to each user who inserts
comments, or any tracked changes. This setting does
not always colour code each user colour each person’s
changed with the same colour each time.
To do this you should:
If you are viewing a document that has colour coding
for a number of users, you can see which colours are
assigned to which user.
1.
Click on Review tab, click on the
down arrow against the Track
Changes icon.
3. Click on the Show Mark-up
option, found in the Tracking
Group.
2. Select the Change User Name.
3. The Word options dialog box automatically opens
showing the options with the Popular area.
4. Select Reviewers.
5.
4. Enter the username in
the Username text box.
This will identify your
comments and initials
in the Initials text box.
5.
6. Each user will have a tick
against their name, if you
click on this to remove the
tick, Word will omit the
changes the user had made.
Click the OK button to
finish.
ICT Learning
A list of all users amending the document will be
shown along with the
colour code.
1
v_W07_01/1
7.
You can also control which changes you accept by
each user.
When viewing comments in balloons the content
associated with the comments is highlighted in the
document to help link the commented areas to the
corresponding comments.
Working with Comments and Revisions
If you are working in Print Layout view, Comments can
be displayed in balloons in the Reviewing Pane. The
Reviewing Pane can be
opened in a horizontal or
vertical position.
1.
When the
comment and
revisions are
removed the
highlight on the text is also removed.
Click on the down
arrow to the right of the Reviewing Pane icon on
the ribbon.
Managing Comments
2. Select either Vertical or Horizontal.
Using comments in a document allows you to ask
questions, provide suggestions, annotated a documents
content without inserting any information into the
body of the document.
3. The reviews are shown like in the graphic below.
Once you have entered your username and specified
which colour to use, you are ready to start to enter
comments.
4. When you have the Reviewing pan open either
horizontal or vertical, you can also see a summary
of changes
that have been
made and
these are
shown in the
left task pane.
You can entry your comment(s) at the insert point, or
you can select content that you would want to associate
with the comment.
1.
2. Click on the New Comment icon on the ribbon, a
comment balloon will automatically appear in the
margin of the document.
3. The cursor will be position within the balloon so
you can start to enter text. Your userid will also be
shown to indicate who is
making the comments.
At the top of this
task pane, you
will see a
number showing
how many revisions have been made, along with
any Deletions, Moves, Formatting or Comments.
4. Word will indicate the comment in the text by
highlighting the nearest word; it also adds a
comment reference, which is only visible in Print
Layout, as well as
placing comment
indicators
around the word.
At the top right of the task pane there are three
icons, with these icons you can choose to close the
task pane, update revisions, or hide the pane. The
icons are ringed in the image above.
If the Reviewing Pane is opened and you
switch to Full Screen Reading view, the
Reviewing pane will close and balloons
are used to show comments along with
revisions.
ICT Learning
Position the cursor at the beginning of the text you
want to make a comment on.
5.
2
Select the words you want to make the comment
on, and Word will mark the select text in the same
way as Point 3 by highlighting the content adding a
comment reference and placing indicators around
the content.
v_W07_01/1
After you have entered your comment, press the Esc
key to return back to the insertion point in the main
body text.
Remember you can use the Show Mark-up icon to see
the list of Reviewers (see pg1)
Turn on Track Changes
Comments can be edited in the same way you would
edit standard text.
1.
Deleting text within comments
2. Or click on the down arrow to
see the option for Track
Changes.
To delete text within the Reviewing pane you need to
select the text and then press the Delete key, or
position the cursor at the text you want to delete, and
then use the Backspace key.
You can also switch the option on
by right clicking on the Status Bar
(at the bottom of the screen) and
select Track Changes.
You cannot select the text and then use the Backspace
key. You can also use Ctrl+Backspace or Ctrl+Delete to
delete entire words at one time.
The feature Track Changes will now
show on the Status Bar and to turn
on and off you click on the icon.
Comments
To see when a comment was inserted and who created
it, move the mouse pointer over the comment balloon
to see the screen tip appear to
display the creation
date/time and the username
of the person who created the comment.
By viewing on the Status bar it is easier to see when
you have the feature switch on or off.
Tracking Changes while you edit
When you turn on this feature you can choose to hide
or display the tracking. It is easier to hide the changes
whilst you are editing, and it can be better to view the
tracking whilst you are reviewing. When Word tracks
any changes as mentioned earlier it automatically
records all insertions and deletions in balloons, which
can be seen in the Print Layout view.
Responding to Comments
You may want to respond to a comment, you can do
this in two ways.
1.
Position the cursor in the comment and enter the
text. With this method your response will not be
colour coded according to your user name.
1. Ensure you have the Review tab selected.
2. Click on the Final Showing Makeup
icon.
2. Click in the comment you want to respond to, next
click on New Comment on the Reviewing toolbar.
A new balloon
opens directly
below the
balloon you
are responding
to, or a blank entry opens in the Reviewing pane
There are four options.
Tracking Changes
Name
Description
Final Showing Mark-up
Shows deleted text in
balloons and displays
inserted text and
formatting changes in
line.
Shows how the document
would appear if the
changes were accepted or
deleted
Shows the inserted text
and formatting changes in
balloons and shows
deleted text in line with
strikethrough
Final
When you want several reviewers to work and make
edits on a documents you will need to turn on the
Tracking Changes feature.
Original Showing Markup
When this feature is turned on Word will record
deletions, insertions and formatting changes made by
each reviewer.
By default Word will display each reviewer’s changes in
a different colour; this will help identify who has made
the changes.
ICT Learning
Click on the Track Changes icon
on the Review ribbon.
Original
3
Shows the original
unchanged document.
v_W07_01/1
Added Text
Accepting Changes One at a Time
If you edit the
document with more
text the changes will show in the reviewer’s colours and
underlined.
4. Click on the Accept and Move to Next
option.
5.
Deleted Text
Any text deleted will show in the reviewer’s colour in a
balloon, or if the inline option is chosen, then deleted
text shows in the
content area with a
strikethrough line to indication the deletion.
This allows you to check
carefully if you want to accept the change.
6. Continue with this until you have accepted the
changes.
7.
Remember to save the changes.
There is the option for Accept, this option accepts
the change, but does not move to the next change.
You do need to have the cursor position within the
entry.
Moved Text
When text is moved it is automatically marked in the
colour green with a double underline.
Any comments within Balloons will still be shown. To
remove these you can either position the cursor within
the text or in the comments button, then
click on the Delete icon in the Comments
group.
Note: Moved text is unavailable when using a
document in Compatibility Mode.
Word automatically inserts a vertical line, which is
called a changed line along the left margin to indicate a
text or formatting
changes are made while
the track changes feature is switched on.
Or
Position the cursor within the
text or comments button use the
Right mouse key and select
Delete from the options.
Accepting or Rejecting Changes
You must choose to accept or reject changes made to
the document. If you choose the option to show Final,
the changes will not show but will STILL be in the
document hidden. If you send the file electronically to
someone when they open the file they will see all the
tracked changes!
Deleting or Accepting all Changes in a
document.
1.
You can choose to accept or reject each change
individually or accept/delete in one
process.
To accept, click on the down arrow under the
Accept icon, and select Accept All Changes within
the document.
2. All the tracked changes with be changed, but if
comments
have been
used they will still show.
In the Tracking group on the
ribbon there are several ways in
which you can choose to view the
changes before you accept/reject. These options are the
same for working with Comments.
3. Click on the down arrow to the right of the Delete
icon.
To do either method you use the button on the Review
tab, in the Changes group.
4. Select the option for Delete All
Comments in Document.
3. Click on the down arrow under Accept
icon to see the options.
ICT Learning
Word will scan the document
and accept the first change; it
then moves to the next
tracked change.
Once all the changes and comments have been
accepted or rejection, the document will show in
4
v_W07_01/1
normal view rather than having a mark-up area at
the right side of the screen.
the document, otherwise if you Final your tracked
changes are still there.
When you choose to delete all comments; you delete all
comments regardless of whether they are visible on the
screen.
Also the names of the Reviewers will be removed.
Deleting Changes
As with Accepting changes, when you reject changes
you have the options to reject and move to next, or
reject the change and don’t move to the next one, or
finally Reject All Changes in the Document.
Showing Revisions in Tables
Reviewing Comments and Tracked Changes
In Word 2007 you are able to track many changes in a
table. Only row deletions and insertions are tracked.
Inserted columns will show as Formatted Table
change.
If the document has had the final editing done, it will
be up to you to review the changes and comments
within the document.
Any text within the table that you format still shows in
a balloon at the right of the screen.
You can review all the tracked changes at the same
time, or you can choose to suppress the view of
comments and tracked changes and review them
individually. Whichever method you choose, the
process is exactly the same.
The text itself becomes underlined and a small
horizontal line will show at the left of the table to
indicate the
change
made.
1.
To Delete/ Insert rows within a table.
Deleting a Row
1.
Have the document open, click on the Review tab
and ensure either Final
Showing Mark-up, or Original
Showing Mark-up is selected on the Display for
Review list.
2. Click on the down arrow against
Show Mark-up, and ensure all
options are on, like shown in this
image.
Position the
cursor outside
the table move
it near to the left border until it changes to a
diagonal mouse, the click with left mouse button to
select the whole row.
3. Or you can turn on only those
options that you want to review.
2. From the Layout tab, click on the Delete icon to see
the options shown here.
3. Select Delete Rows.
You can review the tracked
changes and comments manually
by scrolling through the
document or the Reviewing Pane.
You can also use the navigation
commands on the Review tab to
navigate between comments
only, use the Previous and Next commands found in
the Comments group.
4. The text in the row will show
formatted as strikethrough and
the row will appear as
highlighted, with the vertical line
at the left of the table.
5.
Remember when you have finished amending the
table you will have to Accept All Changes within
ICT Learning
5
v_W07_01/1
Responding to Comments
If with the Reviewing Pane switched on and you
change to view the document in Full Screen view, the
Reviewing Pane closes and balloons are then used to
show comment along with revisions.
As you read through the comments, there may be some
which you want to respond to. There are two ways in
which you can do this.
1.
Type directly in the comment, your response will
not be colour-coded so you
might want to add your
initials, name or date so
others know who is making
the additional comment.
Whichever
position you have
the Reviewing
Pane; you will see a summary of the revisions made in
the document.
Or
There are three icons alongside the summery, these
will Update the Summary, Hide the Summary Pane or
Close the Summary Pane.
2. Click in the comment you want to respond to and
click on New Comment
on the Reviewing tab. A
new comment balloon
opens below the comment
you are responding to.
Printing Comments and Tracked Changes
You can print out comments and tracked changes
within a document.
The format of the comment is different it starts
initials number of the comment, followed with the
number of the comment, indicating it is a response
to a comment, as shown in the graphic above.
When you print a document that contains comments
and tracked changes, you can configure the print
settings in two areas: the Track Changes Option dialog
box and the Print dialog box.
Viewing Comments and Revisions
Track Changes Dialog Box
Comments and revisions can be displayed in balloons
and in the Reviewing Pane if you are working in Print
Layout, Full Screen, Web Layout view.
1.
2. Select the Track Changes option.
The Reviewing Pane can be
switched on and opened in a
vertical or horizontal
position.
1.
3. This opens the Track Changes dialog box.
4. Near the bottom of this box there is a heading
Paper Orientation
in Printing
Click on the down arrow to the right of the
Reviewing Pane, this will show the Vertical and
Horizontal options.
You can select any of the following settings.
2. Select which one you
prefer.
This graphic shows the
Reviewing Pane in the
vertical position with the
comments still showing at the right of the document.
Auto
Preserve
This is the
Default Setting
This graphic is showing
the Reviewing Pane in
the horizontal position.
Force Landscape
5.
ICT Learning
Click on the Track Changes icon on the Reviewing
Pane.
6
Specifies that Word can determine
the best orientation for the
document which is based on
margins settings and balloon
width settings.
Prints the document with the
orientation specified in the Page
Setup dialog box.
Prints the document and balloons
in landscape format to allow the
most room for the display of
balloons.
Select the option you require.
v_W07_01/1
6. In the Print dialog box, (click on the Office button,
then on Print).
1.
2. Select the option you
required.
You can specify whether to print the document
showing mark-up. This
is the default setting
when comments and
tracked changes are
displayed. Or you can
print a list of the markup changes only made
in a document.
7.
Click on the Balloons icon on the Reviewing tab.
Adjusting the size of Balloons
On the Review tab, click on Track Changes, then on
Track Changes Options.
Click the down arrow against Find What to see the
options available.
1.
It you want to print a document’s changes, you want to
print the document with the changes showing, rather
than printing just a list of the changes.
Ensure the Use Balloons (Print and Web Layout)
list is set to Always or
Only for
Comments/Formatting.
2. You can also set the required width and in which
margin the balloons will show.
Depending on how long the document is and how
many revisions have been made, when you print a list
of changes, it can become long and perhaps confusing.
You cannot preview how the balloons settings will be
displayed from the Track Changes dialog box. The best
plan is to try a few settings and see which setting works
best on your monitor.
Print Tracked Changes and Comments
8. Display the document in Print Layout view
When you size balloons, Word configures them
without compromising the content area of the
document. This is achieved by expanding the view of
your document and not by reducing the document
content area.
9. Display the tracked changes in the way you want
them to be printed by using the Show Mark-up list
on the Review Tab.
You can select specific reviewer’s tracked changes
and comments by clicking Reviewers (under the
Show Mark-up) and specifying which reviewers’
comments or revisions should be displayed and
printed.
Using the Document Inspector
In MS Word there is a feature called Document
Inspector, this will check the document for various
information.
10. Click the Microsoft Office Button and click on
Print, or press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog box.
11. Make sure
that the Print
What box
shows
Document
Showing
Mark-up.
1.
Click on the Office
button.
2. Select Prepare, and then
Inspect Document.
3. The Document Inspector
dialog box opens.
12. Click on Print.
Showing and Hiding Balloons
If you would prefer to work with the Reviewing Pane
and not use Balloons, you can turn off balloons. Or if
you prefer you can use balloons to show comments and
formatting changes.
ICT Learning
7
v_W07_01/1
4. Make sure you have a tick
in the options you want to
use.
5.
Click on the Inspect
button.
Word will inspect the
document and returns the
Document Inspector dialog
box showing any information
it has found.
6. Click on the Remove All
button, then Close to exit.
7.
Resave the document.
The document will be cleared of all changes.
ICT Learning
8
v_W07_01/1