cannot edit comments or track corrections

Question

I am experiencing a problem where comments and tracked changes in my Word document have turned into images or non-editable figures. I am unable to edit or accept changes and comments in the document, as they are no longer in the usual text format. I have tried several troubleshooting methods, such as checking the document's tracking settings and disabling document protection, but the issue persists.

I would appreciate assistance in restoring the comments and tracked changes to a fully editable format so I can continue working on my document.

Answer 1

Hi Helene UC. I checked the file you shared via private message. If the missing annotations you mentioned are the gray rectangles on the right side, then unfortunately, this is irreversible.

As the MVP Stefan Blom **** mentioned, some format conversions may cause these contents to be unsupported in the new format, resulting in their deletion or transformation into other styles.

Although I would very much like to provide further assistance, the fact is that you may need to consider recreating such a document and avoid format conversions or content transfers that could lead to format errors or compatibility issues in future work. Keeping a backup copy is highly recommended.

Thank you for your understanding and support. If you encounter any other issues while using Microsoft products, feel free to continue posting in the community. We are always here to help!

Best Regards  Eliac | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Has the document at any point been converted into another format and then converted back into Word format? In particular, conversion from (a scanned) PDF may result in uneditable content.

Answer 3

Hello Helene UC, welcome to the Microsoft Community. 

I understand that you're experiencing issues with Word, and it seems you can no longer edit the comments and corrections. The point you mentioned about 'they have all turned into images' is concerning, as there isn't a standard feature that would cause this. If these features are unavailable in your document, it could indicate a malfunction or a compatibility issue.

Considering that review-related functions often accompany document sharing—such as students frequently exchanging files with their teachers for paper corrections—using different word processing software could lead to compatibility problems. Even if different software has the same features, the way they are implemented at the code level can differ, which indeed raises the possibility of such issues.

If this is your current situation, using the same word processing software is certainly advisable.

If this document was not shared with you by someone else, you might want to check if the same issue occurs in a new document to isolate the problem to this specific file.

Additionally, to further confirm the information, could you let me know which versions of Windows and Office you are currently using?

If privacy is not a concern, you can also share your document with me via private message, and I can check it in my testing environment to better determine the root of the issue.

Here’s how to view private messages:

If you think this information is helpful, or if you still have any questions about it, feel free to let me know in your reply!Best RegardsEliac | Microsoft Community Support Specialist