I have a PDF version of a word doc with tracked changes. I converted it back to a doc, but it doesn't recognize any of the formatting as edits, like red font, underlines, strikethrus etc.



My end goal is to convert it to HTM file as I need to systematically parse through it, preferably using the same format that an actual doc with tracked changes would take on when converted to an HTM file.

Is there any way to get word to recognize the tracked changes?

Brief answer: No.

Converted documents are always problematic. There is no one-to-one correspondence of features in different formats.

You may recall a game called "telephone" when you were a child. Each conversion introduces minor differences which become amplified every time another one is done. Do it enough and what comes out bears little resemblance to what you started with.

The conversion to pdf does not care about the meaning of tracked changes. It cares about making an image that looks like the printed page would look. When you convert back, all Word sees in the conversion is text, if you are lucky.

You could create a macro to convert red text to revision tracked deletions and text that is blue to be revision tracked as inserted. However it is not particularly efficient and not really worth the time it would take to create.

The concept of such a macro would be two parts:
Turn on Revision tracking
Run a find and replace for red text and replace it with nothing (ie delete it)
Turn off Revision Tracking

Start a loop
Turn off Revision tracking
Find blue text
If found, cut it from the document
Turn on Revision Tracking
Paste back into same position
Repeat Loop

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia