Office Compatibility Issues

How to Work Around the Retired PowerPoint Compare and Merge Feature

Ayan Masood Sep 28, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to find alternative ways to compare and review changes across different versions of PowerPoint presentations because the legacy Compare and Merge feature has been retired.

How to Work Around the Retired PowerPoint Compare and Merge Feature

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing presentation changes with external organizations without having access to their shared SharePoint sites.
Observed behavior: The Compare and Merge feature is no longer available in standard Microsoft 365 PowerPoint menus, disrupting established offline collaboration workflows.

Before you start

Verify whether your external partners can grant you guest access to their SharePoint or OneDrive, as utilizing Microsoft's native real-time collaboration and version history is the officially intended replacement for this feature.

Solution 1Recommended

Use an Office LTSC Installation or Virtual Machine

Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) retains certain older features, including Compare and Merge, making it a viable workaround for strict external review needs.

Since standard Microsoft 365 installations have phased out this feature, using a persistent older version or LTSC version can bypass the limitation.

Check licensing availability

Consult with your IT department to confirm if your organization has active licenses for Office LTSC.

Deploy in a Virtual Machine

To avoid conflicts with your standard Microsoft 365 installation, install Office LTSC within a secure virtual machine on your desktop.

Compare your presentations

Open the presentations in the LTSC version of PowerPoint, navigate to the Review tab, and use the classic Compare and Merge function as you normally would.

Use an Office LTSC Installation or Virtual Machine

Security and Licensing: Always review internal security protocols and software licensing requirements before setting up a virtual machine with alternative Office installations.

Solution 2

Compare Exported Presentation Files via Third-Party Tools

If LTSC is unavailable, export your slide decks to PDF format and use specialized document comparison software.

Solution 3

Utilize Native Version History (Where Applicable)

For internal documents or when cloud guest access is eventually granted, rely on Microsoft's built-in version history.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Stable Presentation Workflow

If unexpected feature removals in standard Office suites disrupt your workflow, consider WPS Presentation as a stable, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative for all your document needs.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install the Software: Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
3. Open Your Presentations: Launch WPS Presentation and seamlessly open your existing PowerPoint files to continue your work.

Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint formats (.ppt, .pptx).Familiar user interface that requires zero retraining to get started.Free and lightweight, avoiding the heavy resource usage of standard Office suites.Built-in file sharing and cloud sync for easier cross-organization collaboration.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Microsoft remove the Compare and Merge feature in PowerPoint?

Microsoft transitioned its focus to real-time co-authoring and cloud-based version history via SharePoint and OneDrive. As a result, they deprecated the legacy offline Compare and Merge tool in standard Microsoft 365 updates.

Can I still access Compare and Merge in older Office versions?

Yes, the Compare and Merge feature remains available in older perpetual license versions of Office (such as Office 2016 or 2019) and current Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) installations.

How can I compare PowerPoint files with external partners without SharePoint?

If you cannot use cloud collaboration, your best alternatives are to use an Office LTSC installation if your organization permits it, or export the presentations to PDF format and use dedicated third-party PDF comparison tools to track changes.

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