How to Track Changes Within a Microsoft Word Document

You can "track" the changes you make to a Microsoft Word 97 and Word 2000 (for PC) and Word 98 (for Macintosh) document by setting the Track Changes preferences, then turning on the feature. When you track changes, your additions and deletions are marked in a bright color. If more than one person edits the document, the changes appear in a different color for each editor.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft Word

Turn on Tracked Changes

1. Open the Tools menu and choose Track Changes, then Highlight Changes.

2. Select the box marked "Track changes while editing."

3. Click OK. Your subsequent changes to the document will be marked with the colors and styles you selected above.

Set the Track Changes Preferences

4. Open the document in which you want to track changes.

5. Go to the Tools menu.

6. Select Preferences.

7. Click on the Track Changes tab.

8. Go to the Inserted Text section and use the drop-down menu to select the mark you want to use to track changes.

9. Use the drop-down menu to select the color you want to use to track changes in the Color Used section.

10. Use the drop-down menu to select the mark and color you want to use to track deleted text.

11. Use the drop-down menu to select the changed formatting (bold, italic, underline, double underline) and color you want to use to track format changes.

12. Use the drop-down menu to select the changed lines (left border, right border, outside border) you want to use.

Tips & Warnings

• To get rid of the tracking marks once you've decided which edits to keep and which not to keep, see "How to Accept or Reject Tracked Changes in Microsoft Word."