How to Track Changes in a Word Document
Whether you are revising a paper or story that you have been working on or are proofreading and editing the work of someone else, being able to track the changes that are being made is invaluable. The method by which you can do this differs very slightly between Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007, but the same core functionality exists in both versions.
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Instructions
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Microsoft Word 2003
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Open the document that you're wanting to make changes to in Microsoft Word 2003. It should have the Track Changes function turned off by default, so you will need to turn it on before you begin making the changes you want to track.
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Open the Tools menu. This is where you will be able to turn on Track Changes; you'll notice that the Reviewing Toolbar will open and the letters TRK will appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. The letters are there to remind you that Track Changes has been turned on, and the Reviewing Toolbar provides you with several options for how you can further edit your document.
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When your document has been edited with the tracked changes noted, you can save it to send it to others so that they can view your changes. If you don't want others to be able to view the changes you've made, choose the small arrow next to the Accept Changes button on the Reviewing Toolbar and choose "Accept All Changes" from the menu that drops down. You can also turn off Track Changes once you've done this.
Microsoft Word 2007
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The main difference between tracking changes in Office 2003 and Office 2007 is the location of the Track Changes button. Open up the document that you want to edit in Office 2007, and take note of the different tabs that appear on the ribbon besides the default tab that opens with your document.
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Select the Review tab on the ribbon. You'll notice that several groups are available, including one that is called Tracking. This is where Track Changes is located, as a button instead of just being an item on a menu. Click the button to turn Track Changes on and off.
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If you click on the small arrow beside the text on the Track Changes button you can set your Track Changes options. You can also use this menu to change the name that the changes are listed under, in case you are editing a document for someone else and want the changes to be attributed to you even though they are listed as the creator of the document.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't forget to turn off Track Changes before sending a copy of the document to anyone who you don't want to read the changes that were made
