How to Use Spreadsheet Compare to Analyze Excel File Differences

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How to Analyze Two Versions of a Workbook With Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare

You must import both workbooks into the Spreadsheet Compare tool to analyze different workbook versions. Here’s how to do so:

Step 1:From the Start menu, search forSpreadsheet Compareand launch it.

Step 2:On theHomeTab, in the Compare group, selectCompare Filesto launch a dialog box.

Step 3:In the Compare Files dialog box, select theFile iconbeside theCompare (older file)option. Then, select theExcel filein File Explorer and click onOpen.

Step 4:Select theFile iconbeside the To (newer file) option within the Compare Files dialog box. Select theExcel filein File Explorer and click onOpen.

Step 5:Click onOKto begin the comparison process.

You should be able toview the Excel sheets side by side.

Note:If the order of the file comparison is mixed up, you can click on Swap to change the position of each workbook.

Step 6:You can streamline what the Spreadsheet Compare tool analyzes by ticking or unticking the checkboxes at the bottom left. Here is what some of these checkboxes do:

A graph at the bottom right corner of the tool ranks the different types of changes in the workbook. This graph can help identify the changes that occur the most in the workbooks.

Export Comparison Results From Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare

Once you clickOKfor Spreadsheet Compare to analyze changes in your worksheets, identified changes are highlighted in different text and cell fill colors. The comparison results can be used directly on the tool or exported to another platform. Here’s how to do so:

You can conduct further analysis by exporting the comparison results to Microsoft Excel. Here’s how to export it:

Step 1:On the Ribbon of the Spreadsheet Compare tool, selectExport Results, which launches File Explorer.

Step 2:Select thelocationto save the file and input a name.

Step 3:SelectSave.

The comparison analysis should be available at your saved location.

Copy Comparison Results to Clipboard

If you want to use the comparison results on any other platform except Microsoft Excel, copying to the clipboard is the best option. Here’s how to do so:

Step 1:On the Ribbon of the Spreadsheet Compare tool, selectCopy Resultsto Clipboard.

Step 2:Launch an app to paste the copied data.

Step 3:SelectCtrl+Von your keyboard to paste.

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Last updated on 29 May, 2024

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