How to View Differences After Comparing Word Documents
Question details
The user needs to know how to display the differences between two compared documents after the comparison result has been saved and reopened.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Comparing an original and revised Word document, saving the resulting comparison file, and attempting to view the differences again.
- Observed behavior
- The initial document comparison displays differences in the margins, but these differences become invisible once the comparison result document is saved and reopened.
Ensure you have successfully saved the separate comparison document generated by Word. Keep in mind that document comparisons use standard 'Track Changes' mechanics to display revisions.
Adjust Markup Settings in the Review Tab
Use Word's Review tab to enable the Reviewing Pane and change your markup display settings to reveal the tracked changes in the saved comparison document.
When Word compares two documents, it does not save the visual three-pane comparison workspace. Instead, it generates a new document containing all the differences as tracked changes.
If the differences disappear upon reopening, it is usually because the document's view defaults to hiding markups. Adjusting the Review settings will make them visible again.
Locate and open the new, separate document that Word created and saved during the initial comparison process.
Click on the 'Review' tab located in the top ribbon menu to access the document's tracking and revision tools.
In the Tracking group, find the 'Display for Review' drop-down menu (which may currently say 'Simple Markup' or 'No Markup') and select 'All Markup' to unhide the differences.
Click on 'Show Markup', hover over 'Balloons', and choose either 'Show Revisions in Balloons' to see changes in the margins or 'Show All Revisions Inline' to see them directly in the text.
Click the 'Reviewing Pane' button in the Tracking group to open a dedicated vertical or horizontal panel that clearly lists every difference and revision in the document.
Easily Compare and Review Documents with WPS Writer
WPS Office provides a highly intuitive Document Comparison feature in WPS Writer. It perfectly handles tracked changes, allowing you to easily spot differences, review markups, and manage revisions with flawless Microsoft Word compatibility.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open a blank document or one of the files you intend to compare.
- 2. Access the Compare Tool: Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'Compare' button.
- 3. Select Your Documents: In the Compare Documents dialog box, browse to select your 'Original document' and 'Revised document', then click 'OK'.
- 4. Review the Differences: WPS Writer will generate a new document with all differences highlighted. Use the 'Review' tab to easily accept or reject changes, toggle markup views, and save your final file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the differences disappear after I saved my compared Word document?
When you save a compared document, the differences are stored as tracked changes. If your document view defaults to 'No Markup' or 'Simple Markup' upon reopening, the differences are hidden. You must change the tracking view to 'All Markup' in the Review tab to see them again.
Can I save the exact three-pane comparison view to share with someone?
No, the three-pane view showing the original, revised, and compared documents side-by-side is a temporary workspace interface. You can only save the resulting compared document, which contains the differences as tracked changes.
How do I accept or reject the differences found during the comparison?
Open your saved comparison document and go to the Review tab. Use the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons in the Changes group to jump between differences, and click 'Accept' or 'Reject' to finalize each edit in the document.
