Compare and merge documents

Open the edited copy of the document.
On the Tools menu, click Compare and Merge Documents.
Select the original document, click the arrow next to Merge, and then do one of the following:
- To display the results of the comparison in the original document, click Merge.
- To display the results in the currently open document, click Merge into current document.
- To display the results in a new document, click Merge into new document.

Notes

To ensure the best possible merge results, make sure that the Store random number to improve merge accuracy check box is selected on the Security tab of the Options dialog box (click Options on the Tools menu).
If you've used the Versions command on the File menu to save multiple versions of the document in one file, and you want to compare the current version with an earlier one, you must first save the earlier version as a separate file under a different name.

Use the Legal blackline option to compare documents

This option compares the documents and displays only what changed between the two documents. The documents being compared are not changed. This type of comparison is always displayed in a new, third document.

Note If you want to compare changes from a number of reviewers, do not select this option. Use one of the merge commands instead.

Open the edited copy of the document.
On the Tools menu, click Compare and Merge Documents.
Select the Legal blackline check box.
Select the original document.
Click Compare.
If either version of the document has previous tracked changes, Microsoft Word displays a message box. Click Yes to compare the documents.

Note If you've used the Versions command on the File menu to save multiple versions of the document in one file, and you want to compare the current version with an earlier one, you must first save the earlier version as a separate file under a different name.