Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Tracked Changes Notification when Opening.

Tracked Changes Notification when Opening

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 30, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 2000, 2002, and 2003


Robin is looking for a way to notify users, when a document is opened, as to whether there are any tracked changes in the document. This is not a standard feature of Word, but it can be added easily enough with an AutoOpen macro. If you want the macro to simply indicate whether Track Changes is turned on, you can use the following:

Sub AutoOpen()
    If ActiveDocument.TrackRevisions = True Then
        MsgBox "Track Changes is On."
    End If
End Sub

Note that this macro doesn't let you know if there are actually any changes in the document, so it doesn't help in the situation where Track Changes is turned off, but unresolved changes from a previous editing session still exist. In that case, you need to expand the macro slightly.

Sub AutoOpen()
    On Error Resume Next

    If ActiveDocument.TrackRevisions = True Then
        MsgBox "Track Changes is On"
        With ActiveWindow.View
            .ShowRevisionsAndComments = True
            .RevisionsView = wdRevisionsViewFinal
        End With
        Exit Sub
    End If

    If ActiveDocument.Revisions.Count > 0 Then
        MsgBox "Document contains revisions"
        With ActiveWindow.View
            .ShowRevisionsAndComments = True
            .RevisionsView = wdRevisionsViewFinal
        End With
        Exit Sub
    End If
End Sub

This version of the macro checks two conditions, displaying a message box if Track Changes is turned on and also displaying a message box if there are any changes existing in the document. In both cases, the macro also changes the view of the document so that changes are visible on-screen.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (409) applies to Microsoft Word 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Tracked Changes Notification when Opening.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Spell-checking Uppercase Words

When Word checks the spelling of a document, it can either check or ignore words that are in uppercase letters. Here's ...

Discover More

Page Numbers are Zeros

If you have a document where the page numbers are always zero, you may be rightly wondering what is happening. This tip ...

Discover More

Converting Coded Dates into Real Dates

Sometimes the format in which you receive data is not the same format that would be optimal for Excel. For instance, you ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Using Track Changes

Track Changes is a valuable Word tool that allows you to automatically mark changes in your document. This is a great ...

Discover More

Making Sure Changes and Comments are Anonymous

When using Track Changes, Word normally notes the originator of a particular comment or change. This information can then ...

Discover More

Select All Changes By a Particular Reviewer

The Track Changes feature in Word allows you and other editors to easily collaborate on the development of a document. If ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven less than 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.