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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.

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

1. Open the document.
2. On the Tools menu, click Compare and Merge Documents.
3. Select the Legal blackline check box.
4. Select the document that you want to compare with the document that is currently open.
5. Click Compare.

   If either version of the document has previous tracked changes (tracked change: A mark that shows where a deletion, insertion, or other editing change has been made in a document.), Microsoft Word displays a message box. Click Yes to compare the documents.

   Microsoft Word displays a new, third document in which tracked changes in the baseline document are accepted and changes in the selected document are shown as tracked changes. The documents being compared are not changed.

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.