# Make insertions/changes go away in MS Word!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-insertions-changes-go-away-in-ms-word/427078>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 19, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-insertions-changes-go-away-in-ms-word/427078 "2007-11-19T20:21:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-insertions-changes-go-away-in-ms-word/427078/1 "2007-11-19T20:21:37Z")

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I have an MS Word document, and everytime I open it up, it shows all the changes that have been made to it. I need to send an electronic copy of this document to someone, and I can’t make the comments go away. Sure, if I switch the reviewing pane to “Final” then the comments go away, but they reappear as soon as I close and re-open the document. Help! How do I erase all traces of the original document and make the changes final and make the comments go away!

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-insertions-changes-go-away-in-ms-word/427078/2 "2007-11-19T20:28:15Z")

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This works for Word 2003. You don’t say what version you have.

Show the Reviewing toolbar. If it is not already showing, right-click anywhere in the toolbar area then click on “Reviewing”.

There is a button on that toolbar with a checkmark on it. Click on the little bitty dropdown on that button and then click “Accept all changes in document.”

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**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-insertions-changes-go-away-in-ms-word/427078/3 "2007-11-19T20:31:12Z")

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Sounds like “Tracking Changes” (newer versions of word). The “accept all changes” solution mentioned above works the same way. I think under the “View” menu you can “Hide Mark-up” and that will also hide any comments that are made about the draft(s).

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**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-insertions-changes-go-away-in-ms-word/427078/4 "2007-11-19T20:38:35Z")

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[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]  
This works for Word 2003. You don’t say what version you have.

Show the Reviewing toolbar. If it is not already showing, right-click anywhere in the toolbar area then click on “Reviewing”.

There is a button on that toolbar with a checkmark on it. Click on the little bitty dropdown on that button and then click “Accept all changes in document.”  
[/QUOTE]

Praise Jesus! This worked. I never would have figured it out. Thanks, \*\*CWG \*\* and **SWC**.