Troubleshooting: Deleted or edited text appears in Microsoft Word documents

Article: dts0200

Symptom

Deleted text appears in Microsoft Word documents with strikeout markings, like this: this was deleted.

Cause

Microsoft Word has a "Track Changes" feature that can record all modifications to a document as they are made. The modifications may or may not be visible when you open the document in Word, depending on your Microsoft Word settings.

dtSearch products will index and search all text that it finds in a document, including changes left in a document by Microsoft Word resulting from its "Track Changes" feature.

Resolution

To remove "track changes" text from MS Word documents, there are several options:

1. Print or convert your MS Word documents to PDF.

2. Use the Reviewing Toolbar in MS Word to "accept" all changes in each individual document.

3. Use the "Inspect Document" feature in Microsoft Word to check your document for tracked changes or other hidden personal data.