Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Making Revisions.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 11, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Once you turn on revision marking, Excel starts tracking your changes. You can still make changes to your workbooks as you normally do, the only difference is that Excel pays a bit closer attention to what you are doing. When you edit a cell, Excel outlines the cell in blue and places a blue triangle indicator in the upper-left corner of the cell. When you position the mouse pointer over the changed cell, Excel displays a comment indicating what change was made to the cell.
You should note that as you are tracking your revisions, Excel only keeps track of the last edit made. This can cause problems if you want to see a complete history of changes. In that case, you should instruct Excel to keep a complete tracking history on a separate worksheet using the List Changes On a New Sheet check box, at the bottom of the Highlight Changes dialog box. This check box causes Excel to track your changes on a revisions worksheet, instead of the actual worksheet you are changing. This option is available only if you have saved your workbook as a shared file.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2250) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Making Revisions.
Save Time and Supercharge Excel! Automate virtually any routine task and save yourself hours, days, maybe even weeks. Then, learn how to make Excel do things you thought were simply impossible! Mastering advanced Excel macros has never been easier. Check out Excel 2010 VBA and Macros today!
Lots of people prefer to enter information directly into Excel, but there is another way that may be helpful: Using data ...
Discover MoreExcel can talk to you, reading back whatever you enter into a cell. If you want to turn this capability off, you'll want ...
Discover MoreYou've reviewed the changes that were made to your workbook using the Highlight Changes tool. Now you need to remove the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Comments