How to Track Changes to a Document in Word 2003

Tracking changes to a Word 2003 document lets you monitor multiple versions of the same document even with several people altering it. The changes are marked for easy reference and you can include the changes in your final document.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Word 2003
• Computer

Instructions

1. Open your Word 2003 document. From the "Tools" menu, click on "Track Changes." Word will automatically mark any changes you make to the document. Altered text may appear underlined and in red. A vertical bar also will appear in the left margin of the document.

2. Move the cursor over the changes in the document to discover how the text was edited, who made the changes and when the changes occurred.

3. Use the options on the "Reviewing" toolbar to review, reject or accept changes to the document. Turn on the "Reviewing" pane appended to the bottom of your document. Any changes you make will be displayed there for your acceptance.

4. Insert a comment into the document using the shortcut on the toolbar. The comment will be displayed in the "Reviewing" pane and will be invisible within the document.

5. Pull down the "Accept Changes" menu from the icon in the "Reviewing" toolbar. To display the final version of the document, select "Accept All Changes" after you finish editing.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn the "Track Changes" feature on or off by double-clicking the "TRK" button at the bottom of the window. When off, the "TRK" will appear gray, almost invisible. It will darken when you turn on the feature.

• When you turn off the track changes, your previous changes to the document will remain marked. Any new changes you make will go untracked.

• Changes made to the text while "Track Changes" is enabled will appear red and underlined until you accept or reject them. If you print before accepting or rejecting the changes, the markings will be visible on the document.