Compare Documents ?

[Norm]

I don't get Compare Documents.

I've only used it several times in Word vX before I was using Word 5.1a.

All I wanted to do was:

Make revisions to a document and then email the original and revision to
someone.

I made a copy of the original and renamed it.

Then I made some revisions to this renamed copy.

I then used the Tools->Track Changes->Compare Documents.

It seemed to work but...

1. I couldn't turn it off other then turning off the Highlighting but
that I found didn't really turn off Compare.

2. When I made some additional changes and compared again, the Compare
command actually changed some of the text on this revised copy. Didn't
understand what that was all about and didn't understand the dialog box
that said that some changes had already been made.

All I want to do is a very "vanilla" compare of the two versions and
then turn it off. Possible?

I think I've read all the Help sections and I'm confused and frustrated.

Any tips appreciated. Thanks much.

 

[matt neuburg]

I don't get Compare Documents.

I've only used it several times in Word vX before I was using Word 5.1a.

All I wanted to do was:

Make revisions to a document and then email the original and revision to
someone.

I made a copy of the original and renamed it.

Then I made some revisions to this renamed copy.

I then used the Tools->Track Changes->Compare Documents.

Why did you do it that way? The standard procedure is not to use Compare
Documents at all. You take the original (or a copy of the original if
the idea makes you nervous) and turn on Track Changes - *before* making
any changes. Now go ahead and edit, and both the original state of the
document and the changes you make are remembered; you can toggle back
and forth between them, and you can see the details of what the changes
were. Thus, your "someone" knows just what happened to the document, and
isn't that what you're after? Full descriptions and some working
procedures are given in my Take Control books about Word 2004 - in fact,
the procedures I describe are the procedures we use to edit the Take
Control books themselves! m.

 

[Elliott Roper]

I don't get Compare Documents.

You are not the only one. The naming and the help seem a bit confusing.

I've only used it several times in Word vX before I was using Word 5.1a.

All I wanted to do was:

Make revisions to a document and then email the original and revision to
someone.

I made a copy of the original and renamed it.

Then I made some revisions to this renamed copy.

I then used the Tools->Track Changes->Compare Documents.

It seemed to work but...

1. I couldn't turn it off other then turning off the Highlighting but
that I found didn't really turn off Compare.

Yep, that's where it gets silly. Compare pretends you got from one to
the other with 'Track Changes' enabled.

2. When I made some additional changes and compared again, the Compare
command actually changed some of the text on this revised copy. Didn't
understand what that was all about and didn't understand the dialog box
that said that some changes had already been made. Yep. Unhelpful isn't it?

All I want to do is a very "vanilla" compare of the two versions and
then turn it off. Possible?

Easy. Throw away the result of the compare. Make the changes to the
revision or a copy of it with track changes off. Do another compare.

If you use compare in this way, it is safe. Track changes in v.X has a
fearsome reputation for getting tangled. Some may even say it is
broken. I do not yet have first hand knowledge, but others have claimed
it is better in 2004.

 

[Norm]

You are not the only one. The naming and the help seem a bit confusing.

Yep, that's where it gets silly. Compare pretends you got from one to
the other with 'Track Changes' enabled.

Easy. Throw away the result of the compare. Make the changes to the
revision or a copy of it with track changes off. Do another compare.

Thanks for the response.

Easy....hmmmm.

I made a copy of the document where I had used Compare and where I
couldn't figure out how to turn if off.

I then opened this copy and turned on Highlight Changes just to make
sure Compare was off. Well, wrong it was on and when I turned on
Highlight Changes it not only highlighted changes but it changed some of
the text. I don't get it.

At any rate, How do I throw away the results of the compare and how to I
turn off compare in this revision or copies of it.

I appreciate your tips and I'd agree I think it is broken.

Thanks.

 

[Elliott Roper]

You are not the only one. The naming and the help seem a bit confusing.

Mine got out before I saw Matt's reply. If you trust track changes,
follow Matt's method.
Me, I wouldn't let it out of my sight.

 

[Norm]

Why did you do it that way? The standard procedure is not to use Compare

Because that is the way I understood the Help info and as close as I
remembered to how I did it in Word 5.1a.

Documents at all. You take the original (or a copy of the original if
the idea makes you nervous) and turn on Track Changes - *before* making
any changes. Now go ahead and edit, and both the original state of the
document and the changes you make are remembered; you can toggle back
and forth between them, and you can see the details of what the changes
were. Thus, your "someone" knows just what happened to the document, and
isn't that what you're after? Full descriptions and some working
procedures are given in my Take Control books about Word 2004 - in fact,
the procedures I describe are the procedures we use to edit the Take
Control books themselves! m.

All I want to do is have a document and turn on Compare and compare it
to another document and then turn it off.

I thought I could do that in Word vX and I thought I was following the
instructions carefully to do so.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

All I want to do is have a document and turn on Compare and compare it

to another document and then turn it off.

I thought I could do that in Word vX and I thought I was following the
instructions carefully to do so.

When I have used this, in Word 2004, Compare Documents shows the changes in
a new document. There is no need to turn it off, because it is not on--it is
a one-time action. You just save or delete the new document as you prefer.

 

[Norm]

All I want to do is have a document and turn on Compare and compare it
to another document and then turn it off.

I thought I could do that in Word vX and I thought I was following the
instructions carefully to do so.

When I have used this, in Word 2004, Compare Documents shows the changes in
a new document. There is no need to turn it off, because it is not on--it is
a one-time action. You just save or delete the new document as you prefer.[/QUOTE]


OP back.

I have several revisions of the same document all saved under different
names. I started this seemingly simple task but now I'm trying to figure
out how Word vX Compare Documents works so I've saved several copies at
different revision points.

I now take one of these documents select Track Changes->Compare
Documents and then find the other document to which I want to compare.

It now gives me the dialog:

"New document already has changes. Word may ignore some existing
changes. Compare anyway?"

I don't understand this dialog. I guess I'm a slow learner.

I think what I'm trying to do is maybe too basic for Word vX. I just
want to compare two documents, not track changes.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Elliott Roper]

When I have used this, in Word 2004, Compare Documents shows the changes in
a new document. There is no need to turn it off, because it is not on--it is
a one-time action. You just save or delete the new document as you prefer.

OP back.

I have several revisions of the same document all saved under different
names. I started this seemingly simple task but now I'm trying to figure
out how Word vX Compare Documents works so I've saved several copies at
different revision points.

I now take one of these documents select Track Changes->Compare
Documents and then find the other document to which I want to compare.

It now gives me the dialog:

"New document already has changes. Word may ignore some existing
changes. Compare anyway?"

I don't understand this dialog. I guess I'm a slow learner.[/QUOTE]

No, you are going through the mess that Word makes of your head because
of its moronic user interface, especially the dialog panels. Every time
I get into track changes and compare docs, I have to do a few warm-up
laps to get my confidence back. Does it tell you which is being
considered the before and which is the after? Does it heck!

What has almost certainly happened is that you continued editing a doc
after you ran compare on it, or otherwise left track changes turned on.

Try accepting all changes on your latest revision before doing a
compare using it.

I think what I'm trying to do is maybe too basic for Word vX. I just
want to compare two documents, not track changes.

Hang in there Norm. You are in good company. Track changes is just a
mess, but that is what you have to use to compare documents.

 

[Norm]

No, you are going through the mess that Word makes of your head because
of its moronic user interface, especially the dialog panels. Every time
I get into track changes and compare docs, I have to do a few warm-up
laps to get my confidence back. Does it tell you which is being
considered the before and which is the after? Does it heck!

Thanks.....I do feel better now knowing that Word isn't singling me out
for torture. Even though I am still frustrated with Word vX.
Sometimes, like now, I'm tempted to launch Classic and return to 5.1a.
Oh well...... ignore that, don't want to start that thread going.

What has almost certainly happened is that you continued editing a doc
after you ran compare on it, or otherwise left track changes turned on.

I did. And I guess I left it on because I still don't know how to turn
it on. This old rookie maybe is staring at the way to do that?

Try accepting all changes on your latest revision before doing a
compare using it.

I'll see if I can do that. Not sure if I know how to "accept all
changes" but I'll try it.

Hang in there Norm. You are in good company. Track changes is just a
mess, but that is what you have to use to compare documents.

Thanks for the help.....and reassurance. I do appreciate.

 

[Clive Huggan]

Clive H. coming in late after a few busy days ...

Norm, I can't help but quote Elliott from a while back: "Word 5.1a was such
an improvement on its successors, wasn't it?"

But as you say, we don't want to go there, do we?

<deep sigh>

But I think you'll be OK if you follow Elliott's latest. If not, post back
;-)

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
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