Why doesn't the compare facility default to the active document and folder?

Question

Why doesn't the compare facility default to the active document and folder?

Anonymous

I often like to compare 2 version of the same document to determine just what changed from one version to the next. But I have always been annoyed that the active document seems to play no part in the defaults.

First, I open the Compare Documents dialog (Review | Compare | Compare).

If I click on the Original document dropdown, I get a list of documents. I have no idea how Word compiles that list. The active document (the one I have open and from which I started the compare) is not in the list. Most of the documents are ones that I haven't used recently and many are ones that I can't remember the last time I used. And the list is sorted alphabetically.

Why is the active document not in the list? Why is the list not the most fecently opened documents? And why is it not sorted by most rfecently opened?

If I click on the little folder icon to the right of the dropdown list, Word opens file explorer, but to \Documents.

Why doesn't it open to the folder containing the active document?

Finally, is there any way to make Word behave rationally? That is, defalt to the active document and folder? I would wager that 99% of the time, the person involing the compare facil;ity ends up navigating to the active folder and loading the active document. Is tgherte some setting that will make that happen?

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7 additional answers

Answer 1

It was so nice of you to spend time lecturing me on the purpose of the forum rather than answering my question.

I do not expect anyone here to change how Word works. I asked why it is the way it is in the hope of understanding the logic, if there is any. More importantly, I asked if there is anything I can do to make it behave more rationally.

I am still waiting for an answer.

I apologize if I came across as lecturing. I was trying to tell you that you are unlikely to get any answer here as to "why" it works this way. We are your fellow users and Microsoft does not tell us.

Further, I was trying to tell you how to suggest changes, through the Feedback mechanism. How do I give feedback on Microsoft Office?

The change to the dialog may be possible through vba; I do not know. It is likely, though, that you would have to pay a developer for that solution.

Again, you can certainly change the default folder which will be used, but it will still only show that folder. That will be your default save location.

The list of documents seems to be in alphabetical order and composed from the most recent entries.

You are unlikely to get any other answer here unless one of those who are vba gurus tells you how to change what shows up in that dialog's dropdown or to let you start with the current document.

Someone here may have that solution, but I rather doubt it.

Answer 2

Here, I find that the active document is present in the "Original document" drop down in the Combine Documents dialog box. See screen shot below.

Well, I'll be d*mned. It is there. I completely missed it because, for some unfathomable reason, the geniuses at M$FT chose to sort the list alphaetically, not by most recent. My document had a name that started with"we", so it was way down the list (8-9 pages down).

I do not know how the drop down is being populated. You can post feedback for Microsoft through File > Feedback.

That has been a complete waste of time in my experience.

When you choose to save the result of a combine or compare operation, Word will always suggest the default document folder. You can pick a different default folder via File > Options > Save (if that helps).

I wonder what percent of the time a user wants the result stored in the default folder as compared to the folder with the original document. I'd say close to zero. So most of the time, the user ends up navigating to the desired folder, which, if as in my case, it is several levels down, takes extra time that could have been prevented.

There is no option to have Word suggest the same folder as that of the source document, for example.

Of course not, that would make too much sense.

I know none of this is your fault or within your purview. I am not blaming you for any of this nor am I expecting you to fix it. I just need to vent my frustration at the repeated stupid disregard for simple user-oriented features.

Thank you for your time and suggestions.

Answer 3

How do I give feedback on Microsoft Office? (Hint: it is not this forum.)

I'm sorry. This is a user-to-user support forum, not Microsoft's complaint or suggestion window. No one here is in any position to explain why Microsoft does what it does nor to make changes in the program.

As far as which folder get's opened, that is the folder that you have set as the default save location for Word documents in your Word options. By default, that is the Documents folder, but it need not be.

You could, likely, hire someone to change that dialog for you if you do not care to wait for Microsoft to change it.

Answer 4

Suzanne S Barnhill 277.1K MVP Volunteer Moderator

As Charles suggested, the best you can do is provide feedback from within the application. No guarantees, but MS does pay attention to this feedback.

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Answer 5

Here, I find that the active document is present in the "Original document" drop down in the Combine Documents dialog box. See screen shot below.

I do not know how the drop down is being populated. You can post feedback for Microsoft through File > Feedback.

When you choose to save the result of a combine or compare operation, Word will always suggest the default document folder. You can pick a different default folder via File > Options > Save (if that helps).

There is no option to have Word suggest the same folder as that of the source document, for example. But you can of course browse to some other folder.

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Why doesn't the compare facility default to the active document and folder?

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