• Track Changes

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    #1768560

    How can one completely DISable the Track Changes “feature” in Word? (Word 2000 SR-1)

    (It really is a proverbial pain the (whatever) and can produce some rather embarrassing results when the darned changes show up in a faxed or emailed document, but don’t show at all when viewing on screen prior to distributing the doc!)

    — Steve

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    • #1779936

      Go to Tools, Track Changes, Highlight Changes, and untick Track Changes while Editing. Or you clould leave that as is and tick Highlight Changes On Screen so that you can see your changes. You could then accept all changes before faxing or otherwise distributing your document, which automatically clears all highlights.

      Andrew C

      • #1779940

        Thanks,
        but… is there a way to ensure that the ‘feature’ is *completely* (as in _always_) completely disabled (turned OFF)?

        The ‘feature’ seems to ‘turn on’ so semi-spasmodically at inopportune moments (without any on-screen notice) that it’s all too easy to forget to check.

        It’s ‘stuff’ like this that makes the IBM Selectric seem like THE Great Invention 🙁

        –Steve

        • #1779942

          Hi Steve,

          There is an indication that Track Changes are on if you take a look at the Status Bar – you’ll see a bold TRK. This can also be double-clicked to turn Track Changes on or off.

          Also, in Tools/Track Changes/Highlight Changes, the option to “Highlight Changes on Screen” should default to “Yes” so if you are in Revision mode it should be apparent.

          If memory serves, I recall something about upgrading to Word 2000 and if you kept your Normal.dot from a previous version Track Changes was automatically turned on.

          Anyway, Track Change options are stored at the document level, therefore your Normal.dot controls them.

          Open Normal.dot, Go to Tools/Track Changes/Highlight Changes and make sure “Hightlight Changes on Screen” is turned on and “Track Changes while editing” is turned off.

          For this change to actually be saved you must “dirty” your Normal.dot.

          For this, add a space, backspace it and then Save.
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~
          Cheers

          • #1779944

            Hi, all. In Word 97. if you click on Tools|Track Changes|Highlight Changes|Options, you open a dialog box that appears to allow you to turn Track Changes completely off.

            • #1779946

              Hi Lonnie,

              The Options for Track Changes allow you to change how the Revisions appear on the screen or in the printed document.

              Here is where appearances can certainly be deceiving! If you change all of the “color-coding and formatting” for the Revisions so you don’t see them in the document, these are your personal preferences only. The settings are stored in your Registry. If you send the document to someone else they would see your changes in their “full glory”.

              So this doesn’t really turn off the Track Changes mode. That is done by either double-clicking “TRK” in the status bar or going to Tools/Track Changes/Highlight Changes and turning off “Track Changes while editing”.

              Good suggestion though 🙂
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~
              Cheers!

            • #1779948

              Thanks, BAM. That is why I said it “appears” to turn track changes off. I didn’t know for sure.

            • #1779954

              If what you really want is to avoid accidentally sending out documents containing tracked changes (I always find it illuminating if I receive some!), always make sure they are visible on the screen for that document and use the Accept/Reject dialog to clean them up.

              I think the Word of Law column in WOW discussed some tools to ease this process, but I haven’t gone into the archives to find that info.

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