As we get used to working with Modern Comments, best practices will emerge and fewer snafus will occur, we hope. For now, I’m finding those who aren’t fully indoctrinated yet are confused by seeing resolved comments, not to mention that they make outstanding queries harder to spot amid the clutter. This post explains how to get rid of only the resolved comments without clicking Delete thread on every single one.
Continue reading Delete Resolved Comments OnlyTag Archives: Comments
Changes Coming to Comments in Word
“Modern Comments” are rolling out to subscribed Windows users and Word for Web rather like a steam roller over rubber duckies. This new MS Word “feature” is interrupting workflow for many and may render some functions inside them inoperable (such as autocomplete and search). Here’s what to expect:
Continue reading Changes Coming to Comments in WordLittle-known Word Shortcuts

If you are using control + S to save like you’ve got a twitch (and what MS user hasn’t learned to save obsessively), you already know that shortcuts will save you a lot of time over using menus. Here are some surprising, lesser-known keyboard shortcuts that will speed up your productivity.
Continue reading Little-known Word ShortcutsExtracting Comments and Markup from a Word Manuscript

Word lets you extract a summary of comments and markup in the Print dialog. You can either create a PDF or a paper copy.
Continue reading Extracting Comments and Markup from a Word ManuscriptWhen to Make Silent Changes
When routine changes like turning two spaces into one are tracked, it creates a sea of markup that obscures the changes that 1) actually are negotiable and 2) really matter. It can lead to absolute overwhelm, resulting in a client who just “accepts all” without a meaningful review; or who literally wears out their mouse clicking “accept” on a myriad of non-negotiable changes to house style.
Continue reading When to Make Silent ChangesTracking Changes in PowerPoint Slides
Forced to edit a slide presentation and missing Word’s Track Changes? “Compare” to the rescue! Just save the PowerPoint file with a new name, and make your changes. Then, select Compare on PowerPoint’s Review ribbon. (Only Windows users get this option, sorry Mac users.)
Continue reading Tracking Changes in PowerPoint SlidesQ&A: Tracked changes balloons are showing only what’s left!
QSuddenly Word is showing all changes clumped into a single marginal balloon, not as separate entries. And what’s showing in the balloon is what’s left, not what was deleted!
Continue reading Q&A: Tracked changes balloons are showing only what’s left!Q&A: How Can I Cross-reference Comments in Word?
QHow can I cross-reference comments in a Word manuscript now that Word doesn’t show comment numbers?
Continue reading Q&A: How Can I Cross-reference Comments in Word?Reject Tracked Changes Cleanly

Every time you replace a word (or words) in MS Word using tracked changes, Word annotates two changes: a deletion and an insertion. To reject a change and reinstate the original, you have to reject BOTH changes.
Two Ways to Reject Tracked Changes
Continue reading Reject Tracked Changes CleanlyQ&A: Can I accept only formatting changes?
Q Is there a way to only accept all formatting changes without accepting moved text? I can’t make it show *only* formatting. I can hide insertions/deletions and “accept all shown,” but that would also accept moves?
A You got it! Just hide all changes except the formatting ones and “Accept All Changes Shown” as shown in the steps below:
Continue reading Q&A: Can I accept only formatting changes?