Document Editing Problems

How to Restore Tracked Changes After Rejecting All in Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user accidentally rejected all tracked changes in a Word document and needs to restore them. Repeatedly using the Undo function only recovered some recent changes, and no backup is available.

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to reverse an accidental 'Reject All Changes' action while the document is still open.
Observed behavior: Pressing Undo (Ctrl+Z) only restores the tracked changes in the most recently worked-on section because Word's undo history is limited by available memory.

Before you start

Do not close your Word document. Closing the file will clear the Undo history and make the rejected changes permanent, rendering recovery significantly harder.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Undo Function to Reverse Rejected Changes

The most immediate and effective way to recover accidentally rejected changes, provided the document is still open.

Word stores a history of your recent actions based on available system memory. As long as the document remains open, you can attempt to reverse the rejection by stepping backward through your edit history.

Use keyboard shortcuts

Press Ctrl + Z on your keyboard repeatedly to step back through your recent actions until the rejected changes reappear.

Use the Undo drop-down list

Alternatively, click the drop-down arrow next to the Undo button in the Quick Access Toolbar at the top left of the Word window.

Select the action to revert

Scroll through the list and select the specific 'Reject Change' or 'Reject All Changes' action to revert it and everything that happened after it.

Save a recovered copy

Once the tracked changes are restored, immediately press Ctrl + S or go to File > Save As to save a recovered copy of the document.

Undo Memory Limits: The number of available undo actions is limited by your computer's available memory. If the undo history does not reach back far enough, earlier changes cannot be restored this way.

Solution 2

Check AutoRecover or Temporary Files

If the Undo function cannot reach the point before changes were rejected, Word might have saved a temporary backup.

Manage Tracked Changes Effortlessly

Use WPS Office to Track and Manage Document Changes Safely

WPS Writer offers a robust and user-friendly Track Changes feature, ensuring you have full control over edits without the risk of losing important modifications. It is highly compatible with Microsoft Word documents and handles complex editing histories efficiently.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your document containing tracked changes.
2. Access the Review tab: Navigate to the 'Review' tab located on the top ribbon menu.
3. Enable or view Track Changes: Click on 'Track Changes' to toggle the feature on or off, and ensure 'Markup' is selected to view all edits.
4. Manage changes individually: Use the 'Accept' or 'Reject' dropdown menus to carefully review each modification one by one, reducing the risk of bulk errors.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word .docx formats and tracked changesClear and intuitive Track Changes interface to prevent accidental rejectionsLightweight application that handles large documents smoothly without heavy memory usageReliable auto-backup features to prevent data loss during extensive editing sessions

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Undo only restore some of my rejected changes?

Word's undo history is constrained by your computer's available memory. If you made many edits or if the document is exceptionally large, older actions are dropped from the undo history, preventing you from reversing them once they fall off the list.

Can I recover rejected changes if I already closed the Word document?

Once you close the document, the temporary Undo history is cleared. Unless you have a previous backup, a Windows File History version, or a cloud-synced previous version (such as OneDrive Version History), those rejected changes cannot be restored.

Is there a way to prevent accidentally rejecting all changes at once?

Yes. Instead of selecting 'Reject All Changes in Document', you can use the 'Next' and 'Reject' buttons in the Review tab to navigate through the document and evaluate each change individually.

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