XP Tracked Changes

[shifty]

This may sound stupid, but we're having a problem with tracking
changes in XP Pro. After one person edits a document, another will
pull it up and try to view tracked changes, but nothing appears--not
strikethroughs, not comments, not balloons, etc. Does the person
making the changes have to have "Track Changes" on while they are
editing for others to be able to see the changes later?

It seems that in the past (on 2000), we could always view the changes
by turning tracked changes on during review regardless of whether the
person making the changes had it on. Aren't the changes linked to the
document automatically and the user simply chooses whether or not to
view them? In 2000, we didn't necessarily have to turn it on for
someone else to view it later. Was a default set that we were unaware
of?

Thanks!

 

[shifty]

I appreciate the whole "how could you see what you didn't save"
concept. Perhaps I wasn't thorough enough. The reason I ask is because
for our XP Pro package(and maybe it's only ours)the dialog box isn't
an option--literally. When we go to Tools--Track Changes or use the
shortcut, nothing happens. We don't get a dialog box, we don't get
editing marks, etc. The screen just flashes and it's business as
usual. That's why I ask if there is something hidden or automatic
going on. I don't expect it to do things I don't tell it to do, but
when I'm telling it and am not seeing evidence of something hapening,
I have to consider other possibilities. I don't know the ins and outs
of software programming. That's why I'm asking for help. Can anyone?

(e-mail address removed) (shifty) wrote ...

This may sound stupid, but we're having a problem with tracking
changes in XP Pro. After one person edits a document, another will
pull it up and try to view tracked changes, but nothing appears--not
strikethroughs, not comments, not balloons, etc. Does the person
making the changes have to have "Track Changes" on while they are
editing for others to be able to see the changes later?

Um... yes? How else could it conceivably work? Do you expect Word to
always store (highly-inefficient and corruptible) diffs instead of
changing things outright? Or, why would you expect to be able to see
[x] when you didn't save [x]? ([x] in your case being 'tracked
changes'.)

It seems that in the past (on 2000), we could always view the changes
by turning tracked changes on during review regardless of whether the
person making the changes had it on. Aren't the changes linked to the
document automatically and the user simply chooses whether or not to
view them? In 2000, we didn't necessarily have to turn it on for
someone else to view it later. Was a default set that we were unaware
of?

It's possible that you always had change tracking turned on, but
turned the *viewing* of those changes on and off. Tools - Track
Changes - Highlight Changes: the dialog box has three checkboxes. The
first one turns change tracking itself on and off. The other two
determine whether you *see* the tracking or not, and if yes, when you
see it (on-screen vs. printed).

I don't have Word 2002, so I don't know how (or if) it differs. In any
case, while it is possible to always track changes (open the Normal
template, turn on change tracking, and save the template), I'm not
sure if it's a very good idea. It can greatly increase file size, and
even worse, it can lead to corruption of the document.