UM-Flint ITS Helpdesk - http://www.umflint.edu/helpdesk
Microsoft Word 2007 Document Tracking/Versioning
http://www.umflint.edu/helpdesk/articles/243/1/Microsoft-Word-2007-Document-TrackingVersioning/Page1.html
Thomas Stockwell
I am a computer science major at the University of Michigan-Flint, and I am currently working as both a HelpDesk Consultant and Computer Lab Consultant in the ITS department.  Along with my programming endeavors at the University of Michigan, I am also a writer for the CodeProject website (http://www.codeproject.com).  A link to my profile and programming articles can be found at: http://www.codeproject.com/script/Membership/Profiles.aspx?mid=2196668 
By Thomas Stockwell
Published on 02/3/2009
 

Microsoft Word 2007 provides a robust document versioning/tracking system that is very useful for peer editing.

BasicsMicrosoft Word 2007 provides a robust document versioning/tracking system that is very useful for peer editing.

As far as tracking goes, tracking is divided into 3 main categories.

  1. Comments
    • When tracking is enabled you are able to add comments to the document through this pane.  By highlighting a portion of the document and clicking New Comment, a comment will be shown next to the document.
    • You are also able to maneuver between comments by clicking either Previous or Next.
    • You are able to delete comments by pressing the Delete button.
  2. Tracking
    • Basically, this is the heart for the entire document versioning within Microsoft Word.  This functionality is explained later in the article.
  3. Changes
    • All the changes that are made: comments/tracking/etc, can be Accepted or Rejected.  If they are rejected, the change will be deleted from the document.  If accepted, the change will remain.  You are also able to click Previous and Next to maneuver between the changes.
Review & Tracking
As said previously, the Tracking pane is the heart to the tracking system in Microsoft Word. 
  1. Track Changes - You must click this button in order for changes to be tracked by this system
  2. Change Tracking Options... - Provides advanced configurations for how changes will affect the document.
      Single Image
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  3. Change User Name... - When you click this option, you will be prompted to enter in a new User Name and Initials.  If it is the same person that is editing the document, just a different edit version, you can reflect that in your username/initials.  All comments/changes for a document are color coded depending on the last User Name/Initials were put into this window.
    Single Image
    Click Image to Enlarge
  4. Balloons - Allows you to set whether the comment balloons are visible and in what way they are visible.  You are able to set so the comments appear inline with the document instead of balloons.
  5. Original/Final with Markup - allows you to view the original document before/after changes, or the final copy showing or not showing the changes.
  6. Show Markup - allows you to specify the type of comments/alterations you want visible.  You are also able to set which reviewers you would like to see changes from. When it comes to printing specific drafts, be sure that only one reviewer is checked for the particular draft you want printed.

Removing All Revisions For Final Draft

  1. Click the Office Button
  2. Click Prepare
  3. Click Inspect Document
  4. Be sure that Comments, Revisions, Versions, and Annotations is checked
  5. Click Insepct
  6. Click Remove All for the tracking information in your document.  Any changes made by the Tracking/Versioning engine will be Accepted and all comments will be removed.
  7. Click Close