Can Word "Compare and Merge Documents" between a Word and Adobe fi

[Guest]

I have a new Word file. I want to compare a 6-month old Adobe document to
this new Word file, and save the new compared/merged document in Word. So
far I have been unable to do this. (I am using Word 2003 with SP2, and Adobe
Reader 6.0.) With the new Word file open, I click "Tools", then "Compare and
Merge Documents", then I select the previous Adobe file to compare my new
document to. I instantly get a window prompting me for File Conversion,
asking me to pick a version [choices: Windows (Default), MS-DOS, and "Other
Encoding"] that is readable. None of these choices produces a readable file.
Whichever choice I select, the Merge/Comparison immediately takes place, but
does it wrong---I end up with the new Word file compared to the old Adobe
file...I want the old Adobe file compared to the new Word file.

And I never get to the next step that Word Help says I should reach, namely:
4. Click the arrow next to Merge, and then do one of the following:
To display the results of the comparison in the selected document, click
Merge.

To display the results in the document that is currently open, click Merge
into current document.
To display the results in a new document, click Merge into new
document<--this is the choice I want.

 

[CyberTaz]

Your biggest problem is that you are trying to use a Word feature on a
non-Word file - Word cannot open a PDF. Compare & Merge is for comparing 2
Word docs... typically one being a revised copy of the other.

I haven't tried it, but I would think the best you can hope for is to open
the PDF in Reader, use the File>Save as Text option & use the resulting text
file for the comparison. However, saving the PDF as a text file will strip
all formatting, so that may not provide the result you want.

Secondly, you are not getting the opportunity to Compare [most likely]
because you are a) omitting step #3 and b) either double-clicking the second
file or clicking the Merge button. If you put a check in the Legal Blackline
box (step #3) the Merge button turns into a Compare button.

 

[Guest]

I use the Windows 2003 Word "Windows>compare documents side-by-side"
function extensively, so i can quickly scroll the two documents, then click
and drag paragraphs from one to the other.

I just purchased Office:Mac 2004 a couple of days ago, and the
Windows>compare two documents side-by-side function is missing. I know how to
compare>merge two documents, but this funtion doesnt allow parallel comparing
an simultaneous scrolling of two documents.

Do you have a patch for this function on Office:Mac, or fix? Perhaps this
function has been moved to another location in the Word toolbar?

Many thanks, Cam

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hi Cam,

The link here will change the Window | Arrange All command to give you
side by side vertical windows (The default Window | Arrange All does
them horizontally, which is not really what you ask for).
http://www.mcgimpsey.com/macoffice/word/verticalwindows.html

Or, you can do this manually. Drag the windows around and resize them so
that they are side by side. Use the bottom right corner to resize, and
drag by clicking and holding on the bar at the top of the window.

For future reference, it's better to post Mac Office questions in the
Mac groups, where you will reach many more Mac users--see here for
Google/Entourage gateway to newsgroups for MacWord, MacExcel, and other
MS programs for the Mac:
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/community/community.aspx?pid=newsgroups>

If you don't like the above options, or you run into difficulties, it
would be better to post follow-up questions there.

Daiya