Getting Tracked Changes to Show (2002, Win XP Pro)

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I have been using Word’s Track Changes feature for several years and find it quite useful. However, I just tried it for the first time on my new computer which has a newer version of Word installed (it appears to be Office 2002). It seems to function entirely differently! For one thing, the changes all disappeared every time I closed the document. It took a lot of fiddling around to figure out how to get them to show. I can do it now, but they still disappear every time I close the document.

My concern is that I will be sending this document to someone who is not at all computer savvy. How can I be sure that the changes are going to show when he opens the document? (or can I?)

(note: the same thing happens with comments – and I have the same question about that)

Thank you,
-cynthia

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In Word 2002, and in 2003 as well, you can see tracked changes in different ways according to the selection you make in the drop down list saying, Final, Final with changes, etc. Final with changes, for instances, shows with the new material in colour in the text and the deleted material in the margins. You can also elect to see them the old fashioned way if you select Options from the Tools menu, then on the Track Changes tab select whether to view in ‘balloon’ form. Without using balloons is the old way. Whichever way you view changes on your PC won’t affect what another person sees when you send the document to them. So you might choose to use the new balloons style (which has the advantage of leaving the layout as it was instead of playing havoc with it as the old way did) but if you send the document to someone using an older version of Word, they still see the tracked changes the traditional way.

Hope that helps!

Ian

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Thanks Ian. I didn’t know about the options window.
But the thing that baffles me is that I select “final with changes” but the next time I open the document, it has reverted to “final” and I have to reselct “final with changes” to see them. How do I know what he’ll see when he recieves the document on email and opens it? If he has to hunt for a menu somewhere this won’t work.

thanks,

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I’m not certain how you can be sure.But could you try sending him a sample document? Explain that it is a test to check that you are OK using different versions of Word. If it turns out that he does see the tracking at his end, then you don’t need to worry.

Ian

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Well, now there’s a simple solution!

Thanks
-c

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The simple ones are often the best!

Ian

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