Microsoft Excel is an indispensable tool for data management and analysis. In collaborative environments, or even when managing different versions of your own work, it’s crucial to track changes and understand the evolution of your spreadsheets. If you’ve ever wondered “What exactly changed in this Excel file?” or “Which version is the most up-to-date?”, Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare is the solution you need. This powerful tool allows you to meticulously Compare Excel Documents, highlight differences, and ensure data accuracy.
Important Note: Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare is included in Office Professional Plus 2013, Office Professional Plus 2016, Office Professional Plus 2019, and Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Ensure you have one of these versions to utilize this feature.
Step-by-Step Guide to Compare Excel Documents
Using Spreadsheet Compare is straightforward. Follow these steps to effectively compare your Excel files:
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Launch Spreadsheet Compare. You can typically find it within your Office tools or by searching for “Spreadsheet Compare” in your Windows search bar.
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Customize Comparison Options. In the bottom-left pane of the Spreadsheet Compare window, you’ll find a range of options to tailor your comparison. You can choose to include formulas, cell formatting, macros, and more. For a comprehensive comparison, simply click “Select All“.
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Initiate File Comparison. Navigate to the “Home” tab on the Spreadsheet Compare ribbon and click “Compare Files“.
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Select the Earlier Version. In the “Compare Files” dialog box, locate the “Compare” row. Click the browse icon to select the older version of your Excel workbook. You can choose files from your local computer, network drives, or even enter a web address if your workbooks are stored online. This browse icon visually represents navigating through folders to find the desired file.
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Select the Later Version. In the “To” row of the same dialog box, click the browse icon to select the more recent version of the workbook you want to compare against the earlier one. This browse icon, similar to the previous one, allows you to navigate and choose the updated Excel file.
Note: Spreadsheet Compare allows you to compare two files with identical names as long as they are saved in different folders. This is especially useful when version controlling your documents.
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Run the Comparison. Click “OK” to initiate the Excel document comparison process.
Troubleshooting: If you encounter an “Unable to open workbook” message, it’s likely that one or both of the Excel files are password-protected. Click “OK” and you will be prompted to enter the password. For more detailed information on password handling, refer to how passwords and Spreadsheet Compare work together.
Interpreting the Comparison Results
Once the comparison is complete, the results are displayed in a clear, two-pane grid. The left pane shows the earlier version of your workbook (the “Compare” file), and the right pane displays the later version (the “To” file). A detailed pane below the grids provides a summary of the changes detected.
Differences between the Excel documents are highlighted with distinct colors, each representing a specific type of change. This color-coding system makes it easy to quickly identify modifications.
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The comparison begins by analyzing the leftmost worksheet in each workbook and proceeds through each worksheet sequentially. Even hidden worksheets are included in the comparison and displayed in Spreadsheet Compare, ensuring no changes are missed.
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If cell content is truncated due to narrow columns, click “Resize Cells to Fit” to automatically adjust column widths for better readability. This “Resize Cells to Fit” button helps users view the full content within each cell for effective comparison.
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Different types of changes are visually distinguished by color. For instance, cells containing “entered values” (cells with direct input, not formulas) are highlighted with a green fill color in the side-by-side grid view. In the results list below, these changes are indicated by a green font. The legend in the lower-left pane provides a clear explanation of what each color signifies, allowing for quick interpretation of the comparison findings.
Exporting and Further Analyzing Comparison Data
Spreadsheet Compare offers options to export or further analyze the comparison results, providing flexibility for different needs.
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Export to Excel: To save the comparison results in an easily readable Excel file, click “Home > Export Results“. This creates a new Excel file summarizing the differences.
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Copy to Clipboard: For use in other applications like Microsoft Word or email, click “Home > Copy Results to Clipboard“. This allows you to paste the comparison data into another program.
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Show Workbook Colors: To view the worksheets with their original Excel formatting, click “Home > Show Workbook Colors“. This provides a high-fidelity view of each worksheet, closely resembling how they appear in Excel, including cell formatting and styles.
Why is Comparing Excel Documents Important?
Comparing Excel documents is valuable in various scenarios:
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Audit Trails: For organizations undergoing audits, Spreadsheet Compare provides a crucial audit trail of critical workbooks. It allows you to track changes over time, identify modifications, and rectify errors before audits, ensuring compliance and data integrity.
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VBA Code Comparison: Beyond worksheet content, Spreadsheet Compare can also identify differences in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code within Excel workbooks. The VBA comparison results are presented in a side-by-side window, enabling developers to easily review and manage code changes.
By using Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare, you can effectively track changes, maintain data accuracy, and collaborate more efficiently when working with Excel documents. This tool is essential for anyone who needs to understand the evolution of their spreadsheets and ensure data integrity across different versions.
