Fix: Compare документы Not Working in Word

Проблема

Word’s Compare документы feature isn’t working. You try to Перейдите в Review > Compare > Combine, select two files, but nothing happens or an error appears. The comparison dialog hangs or closes without creating comparison. You need to see all differences between two versions but Word’s Compare feature is broken. Files are incompatible формат or the feature can’t find them.

Быстрое исправление

Ensure both документы are saved and closed:

1. Save both документы you want to compare: Press Ctrl+S in each
2. Close all Word документы: Файл > Close All
3. Перейдите в Review вкладка in ribbon
4. Click Compare (dropdown arrow next to Compare кнопка)
5. Select Compare or Combine (Combine is for merging edits)
6. In the dialog:
   • Original документ: Browse to your first документ
   • Revised документ: Browse to your second документ
7. Click OK (not “More Options” for now)
8. Wait 10-30 seconds (comparison takes time for large документы)
9. A new документ opens showing all differences as tracked changes

If this doesn’t work, proceed to Пошаговое решение.

Пошаговое решение

Step 1: Close All Open Word документы

Open документы interfere with Compare function.

1. Close all Word документы:
   • Файл > Close All or close each individually
2. Verify Word window is empty
3. Don’t close Word itself—keep the application open
4. Now open Compare function: Review > Compare > Compare

Step 2: Choose Correct документ Locations

Files must be saved before comparing.

1. In Compare dialog, click “Original документ” folder icon
2. Navigate to where your first документ is saved
3. Double-Нажмите на Файл to select it (or click once and click “Open”)
4. Important: Don’t open the Файл—just select it
5. The filename appears in the “Original документ” поле
6. Now click “Revised документ” folder icon
7. Navigate to your second документ
8. Select it the same way
9. Both filenames now show in the dialog
10. Click OK

Step 3: Check Файл Compatibility

документы must be in compatible formats.

1. Both files should be:
   • Word документы (.docx, .doc, .docm)
   • Not PDF, not image, not other формат
2. Verify Файл extensions:
   • Right-click each Файл > Properties
   • Check the “Type” поле
   • Both should say “Microsoft Word документ” or similar
3. If one is PDF:
   • You can’t compare directly to PDF
   • Convert PDF to Word first (special tools required)
   • Or use alternative comparison method (Step 10)

Step 4: Verify Files Are Not Open or Locked

Files in use can’t be compared.

1. Check if документы are open:
   • If they are, close them (Файл > Close)
   • Don’t save if you don’t want to
2. Check if files are locked by another user:
   • Щелкните правой кнопкой мыши на Файл
   • If read-only or locked icon appears, wait for other user to close
3. Try Compare again once files are closed

Step 5: Save Unsaved документы First

Unsaved документы can’t be compared reliably.

1. If you want to compare an unsaved документ:
   • Save it first: Ctrl+S or Файл > Save
   • Give it a filename
   • Choose a location
   • Click Save
2. Repeat for the second документ
3. Close both документы
4. Now try Compare again with the saved versions

Step 6: Use Файл Path if документы Won’t Select

Sometimes Файл browser doesn’t show документы.

1. In Compare dialog, instead of using folder browser
2. Right-click in the “Original документ” поле
3. Paste документ path if you have it
4. Or Введите full path: C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Document1.docx
5. Do same for “Revised документ”
6. Click OK

Step 7: Try Combine Instead of Compare

Combine is sometimes more reliable.

1. Перейдите в Review > Compare > Combine (instead of Compare)
2. Combine is designed for merging edits from multiple reviewers
3. Select документы same as Compare
4. Combine shows differences but is optimized for merging tracked changes
5. Some users find Combine works when Compare fails

Step 8: Enable More Options If Basic Compare Fails

Advanced options can help with difficult документы.

1. Open Compare dialog: Review > Compare > Compare
2. Select документы as usual
3. Before clicking OK, click “More Options” or “Show More Options” (bottom left)
4. Additional settings appear:
   • Ignore formatting: Checks only text, not formatting changes
   • Ignore spacing: Ignores space/вкладка differences
   • Ignore punctuation: Ignores punctuation changes
5. Uncheck options that aren’t relevant (focus on actual differences)
6. Click OK
7. Comparison might now succeed

Step 9: Compare документы in Different Order

Sometimes order matters.

1. If Compare fails, try reversing which Файл is “Original” and which is “Revised”
2. Swap them and try again
3. This occasionally fixes strange errors
4. Result shows differences either way, just direction might differ

Step 10: Use Alternative Comparison Method

If Word Compare absolutely won’t work:

1. Manual side-by-side Вид:
   • Open both документы
   • Перейдите в Вид > Вид Side by Side
   • Scroll through and manually note differences
2. Use Word Online comparison:
   • Upload both документы to SharePoint
   • Use SharePoint web interface > Compare versions
3. Export to Google Docs and compare:
   • Convert both to Google Docs
   • Google Docs has built-in comparison
4. Use third-party comparison tool:
   • DeltaView, Diff utilities, or similar
   • These often work when Word Compare fails

Step 11: Repair Office if Compare Persistently Fails

Compare feature might be corrupted.

1. Перейдите в Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
2. Find Microsoft Office
3. Click Change
4. Select Quick Repair
5. Wait for completion (2-5 minutes)
6. If Compare still fails, repeat and select Online Repair
7. Online Repair rebuilds all Office components
8. Try Compare again

Почему это происходит

1. документы still open — Open документы interfere with Compare
2. Файл not saved — Unsaved документы can’t be compared
3. Incompatible формат — One Файл is PDF, image, or non-Word формат
4. Файл locked by another user — Файл in use prevents comparison
5. Corrupted документ — One or both files have internal corruption
6. Compare feature bug — Older Office versions have Compare bugs
7. Path or filename issues — Special characters or very long paths break Файл selection
8. Insufficient disk space — Comparison creates temporary files; needs space

Как это предотвратить

1. Save both документы first — Never compare unsaved files
2. Close документы before comparing — Don’t compare open files
3. Verify compatible формат — Both must be .docx, .doc, or .docm
4. Use meaningful filenames — Avoid special characters in filenames
5. Keep Office updated — Updates fix Compare bugs
6. Test Compare early — Don’t wait until critical moment
7. Maintain backup copies — Keep originals before making changes
8. Use version control — For extensive revisions, use Track Changes instead of Compare

Still Not Working? Альтернативные решения

1. Side-by-side Вид — Вид > Вид Side by Side shows both документы at once
2. Track Changes approach — Instead of Compare, use Track Changes on one документ
3. Google Docs comparison — Upload to Google Docs, use their comparison feature
4. Diff/patch tools — Command-line tools like diff (Windows/Mac) for comparing text
5. Visual comparison software — Beyond Compare, Araxis Merge, or WinDiff
6. Manual line-by-line review — Open both документы, read each line carefully
7. Reinstall Office — Complete uninstall and fresh install
8. Contact Microsoft Support — For persistent feature failures

Ключевые моменты

• Close all документы before comparing (don’t compare open files)
• Save both документы first (unsaved files can’t be compared)
• Verify both are Word формат (.docx, .doc), not PDF
• Use Review > Compare > Compare to select документы
• Compare creates new документ with tracked changes showing all differences
• Combine is optimized for merging edits from multiple reviewers
• Use Вид > Вид Side by Side as alternative to Compare
• If Compare fails repeatedly, reinstall Office or use third-party comparison tools