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How to track changes without sharing workbook?

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

Normally, when you apply the Track Changes feature in Excel, the workbook will be shared at the same time, this will be annoying because some of the features in Excel will be disabled. How could you track changes without sharing the workbook? Here, I will recommend a VBA code for you.

Track changes without sharing workbook with VBA code

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There’s no direct way to solve this problem, but you can use a flexible VBA code. Please follow these steps:

1. Right click at the sheet tab that you want to track changed cells, and choose View Code from the context menu, in the popped out Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, please copy and paste the following code into the blank Module:

VBA code: Track changes without sharing workbook:

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
  'Updateby Extendoffice
    Const xRg As String = "A1:Z1000"
    Dim strOld As String
    Dim strNew As String
    Dim strCmt As String
    Dim xLen As Long
    With Target(1)
        If Intersect(.Cells, Range(xRg)) Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
        strNew = .Text
        Application.EnableEvents = False
        Application.Undo
        strOld = .Text
        .Value = strNew
        Application.EnableEvents = True
        strCmt = "Edit: " & Format$(Now, "dd Mmm YYYY hh:nn:ss") & " by " & _
        Application.UserName & Chr(10) & "Previous Text :- " & strOld
        If Target(1).Comment Is Nothing Then
            .AddComment
        Else
            xLen = Len(.Comment.Shape.TextFrame.Characters.Text)
        End If
        With .Comment.Shape.TextFrame
            .AutoSize = True
            .Characters(Start:=xLen + 1).Insert IIf(xLen, vbLf, "") & strCmt
        End With
    End With
End Sub

A screenshot showing the VBA module with the code pasted

Note: In the above code, A1:Z1000 is the data range that you want to track changes.

2. Then save and close this code window. Now, when you change the values in any cells within the specified range, the changes will be tracked without sharing the workbook. See screenshot:

A screenshot showing tracked cell changes in Excel without sharing the workbook

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