When multiple individuals work on an Excel file, it becomes important to have a feature that allows you to identify changes and the individual responsible. A popular feature on Microsoft Office that allows individuals to track file changes is called Track Changes.
Unlike Microsoft Word, Track Changes does not appear on the Ribbon in Excel. However, here’s how to include it in your Ribbon:
How to enable change tracking in Microsoft Excel
The Microsoft Excel ribbon is easily customizable. To include Track Changes on your Ribbon, here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Launch Microsoft Excel.
Step 2: Right-click on the Ribbon and from the list of options, choose Customize the Ribbon.
Step 3: On the new menu, navigate the drop-down menu located below the Customize Ribbon heading. You will have three options named All Tabs, Main Tab and Tool Tab.
Step 4: From the drop-down list, select the Customize the Ribbon of the Main Tabs option.
Step 5: Below the drop-down list, scroll through the Main Tabs of the Ribbon until you find Reviews.
Step 6: Click New Group located below the box and a new field will appear with the name New Group (Custom).
Step 7: Click the Rename option.
Step 8: Give the group a new name (eg Track Changes) and choose an icon to represent it.
Step 9: Place your cursor in the drop-down menu under the Choose command from heading. You’ll have nine options from Common Commands to Groups and custom tabs.
Step 10: From the drop-down list, select the option Commands Not in Ribbon.
Step 11: Below the drop-down list, scroll through the commands that are not on your Ribbon until you find Track Changes (Old).
Step 12: Select the More >> option.
Step 13: Back in the box under Choose commands from, scroll through the list of commands and add the Accept/Reject Changes and Mark Changes commands to the Track Changes group.
Step 14: To save the addition of new items and groups, click OK.
Configure Change Tracking in Microsoft Excel
After customizing the Ribbon, the next step is to make sure the new Track Changes feature is on your Ribbon. You should also configure how you want it to work.
Step 1: On your Ribbon, select the Review tab.
Step 2: Verify that the new Track Changes group is on the Review Ribbon.
Step 3: Click on Mark Changes and a new dialog will launch.
Step 4: On the dialog box, check the box next to Track Changes While Editing.
Step 5: To configure When you want changes to be tracked, you can choose any of the following options:
- Since the last time I saved.
- Since date (here, you provide a specific date).
- Not reviewed yet.
- All of the above.
Step 6: To configure Who changes are tracked, you can choose between Everyone but me or Everyone options.
Step 7: Click the OK button to save your preferences.
Note that Mark Changes must be enabled on every file before you start editing like in Microsoft Word.
View and Accept/Reject Changes
With the Track Changes feature now on your Ribbon, you can easily define what’s new to a workbook or sheet. New changes are usually marked. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: On the Excel spreadsheet, hover over a small shaded cell in the top left corner.
Step 2: The action in Step 1 displays a comment box showing the following information:
- Who made the change.
- When changes are made.
- What was changed in the cell.
Review the information to confirm whether the changes are accepted.
Step 3: Select the Review tab on the Ribbon.
Step 4: With the Track Changes group, select the Accept/Reject Changes option.
Step 5: On the new dialog, Select Change to Accept or Reject in the Who, Where and When option.
- When: you can select unreviewed changes or simply specify a date.
- Who: you can decide what changes you will consider.
Step 6: Once selected, click OK to launch a new dialog box showing all the changes to Excel.
Step 7: In this dialog you can accept or reject all the changes at once or choose to do it individually.
Using the Comment Tool in Microsoft Excel
With change tracking, you can minimize version control issues in your Excel because you can define changes to accept or reject. You can also use the comments tool on Microsoft Excel to track changes or leave notes for other collaborators.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
