Merging multiple tracked changes documents into one document

T

Tenacity

If you have, say, 10 separate docs with tracked changes, it would be handy to
combine into one doc, where the result is that, where there is no change to
the text, it just shows up once in the correct place, and then when you come
to a change, it shows up in a unique color for each author, and if 2+ authors
changed the language differently, each change would show up sequentially at
the same place in the document.

Not sure if I explained this well, but the concept is more of a 10 document
merge rather than insert or copy and paste as some MVPs have suggested.
Insert or copy and paste seems to connote that, for example, if the document
is 1 page and you insert each of the 10 versions, you end up with roughly an
11 page doc with sequential duplication and no easy way of evaluating changes
in one place.

With what I'm suggesting, a "merge", you end up with, say, a 1.5 page doc
where the unchanged parts just show up once and the changed parts are all
grouped together around the parts changed, with different colored tracked
changes showing each author's changes.

This would make managing multiple changed docs much easier. You could
accept/reject without having to copy and paste manually from multiple
documents.

Is this, or something similar (not Insert as you suggest below) available
under Word 2003? Do you know of any macros or third party programs which
facilitate this?

Another question: In earlier versions of Word, you could accept/reject a
change and the program would automatically move you to the next change. In
2003, it seems to be a 2 step process requiring 2 clicks where 1 click did it
in earlier versions. Is there any way to make this happen in 2003? Detailed
instructions would be appreciated.

Tx for a prompt reply.
 
S

Shauna Kelly

Hi Tenacity

Have you tried Tools > Compare and Merge Documents? It doesn't always work
brilliantly, but it is possible to keep adding documents so you have
eventually merged all 10 documents.

To show how to display changes by colour according to author, and how to
reinstate the previous functionality for moving to the next tracked change,
see
How does Track Changes in Microsoft Word work?
http://www.ShaunaKelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
 
T

Tenacity

Thanks for the reply. I will try your merge proposal. Is this the only fix?
because you say it doesn't always work brilliantly!?

RE your help site, which is very good, you speak about "Remove personal
information from file properties on save."

As far as I can tell, this must be checked each time for each doc. Is there
any way to make this your default setting so it is checked automatically
unless unchecked manually?

Tx.
 

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