Excel Tips and Tricks – Comparing Different versions of Excel spreadsheet

28. December 2011
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Another Excel Tip from IT Brigade…

 

Problem: Need to compare different versions of Excel (.xls, .xlsx) files to see what’s changed.  Want to see differences highlighted side-by-side.   Don’t want to use WinDiff (please don’t say you still use WinDiff!).

 

Solution: Use WinMerge to do the comparison using the following steps:

1. Download a free copy of WinMerge.

2. Save a copy of each Excel file as a .csv file (Comma-Separated Value).

WinMerge can not directly compare (DIFF) Excel Files since they are in binary format. (WinMerge can not compare any type of binary files).

3. Then compare the two .csv files normally using WinMerge.

Note: This only compares the contents of the cells, not formulas, etc.


 

  By John Dorsey  IT Brigade Inc.           

Excel ,