How to reformat a Word document with tracked changes

Question

How to reformat a Word document with tracked changes

JIP-3077 5

I need to reformat Word documents (for MacOS) that were made in A4 format and also with 2" margins rt and left with 1.5 spacing and a font I don't want to use. What is the best way?

If I copy the document's contents into a new blank word doc set to my Normal, the tracked changes disappear.

When I import my Normal template settings into the document, I am not seeing changes other than font changes. What does work is first setting A4 to US letter, adjusting the document size to 1" margins rt / letf, then importing my Normal, then copying the contents of the document, then (to force the font change) selecting Times New Roman, and then forcing a double space across the body. Is there no quicker way?

Thanks.

JIP-3077 5 Reputation points

2026-08-19T04:53:27.7366667+00:00

AI bot wrote:

The quickest supported approach is to change the document defaults inside the existing Word for Mac document instead of copying content to a new file

[---]

I want to preserve my Normal styles en bloc, rather than reassigning them one by one. The AI answer is not going to work in this regard.

1 answer

Your answer

JIP-3077 5 Reputation points

2026-08-19T04:53:27.7366667+00:00

AI bot wrote:

The quickest supported approach is to change the document defaults inside the existing Word for Mac document instead of copying content to a new file

[---]

I want to preserve my Normal styles en bloc, rather than reassigning them one by one. The AI answer is not going to work in this regard.

Answer 1

Hello JIP-3077,

Based on my research and similar discussions in the Microsoft Community, it is possible to copy the document into a new blank Word file while preserving the existing tracked changes. To do this, please make sure that Track Changes is turned off in both the original document and the new blank document before copying and pasting the content. For detailed instrution:

Create a new blank Word document.
Configure the new document with your preferred format, including the Letter page size and any required margins or layout settings.
Turn off Track Changes in both the original document and the new document.
Copy the content from the original document and paste it into the new document.
In the new document, go to Review > All Markup and confirm that the revisions are still available.
Save the result as a new file so that the original document remains unchanged.

For your reference: Copying edited material with track changes into a new document. - Microsoft Q&A

However, please note that preserving the tracked changes and applying the destination document’s formatting are two separate matters. Depending on the paste option selected, Word may retain the source document’s font, line spacing, and style definitions. Word provides options such as Keep Source Formatting, Merge Formatting, and Keep Text Only, but these options can produce different results when the source and destination documents contain styles with the same names: Control the formatting when you paste text | Microsoft Support

If the original font and spacing remain after pasting, you may still need to apply your preferred font and double spacing directly in the new document. This would be the easiest approach.

Kind regard,

Demi Nguyen 1,585 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-20T15:28:59.38+00:00

Hi JIP-3077,
Just checking in to see if you need any further assistance. If you have any follow-up questions or new updates, feel free to let me know.