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Microsoft Excel is a powerful application widely used for data analysis and organization. While working with large sets of data, often it becomes necessary to compare different versions or copies of an Excel file. Comparing Excel files helps identify differences and inconsistencies, ensuring data integrity and accuracy. This process can be particularly useful when collaborating with others or updating information within a dataset. In this guide, we will explore various methods and techniques to effectively compare two Excel files, enabling users to recognize discrepancies and streamline their data management process. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced Excel user, this guide will provide you with the necessary knowledge and tools to efficiently compare and analyze Excel files for enhanced data manipulation and decision-making.
This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.
The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.
This article has been viewed 1,764 times.
This article will show you how to directly compare data between two Excel files. After manipulating and comparing the information, you might consider using Look Up, Index, and Match to aid in your analysis.
Steps
Use Excel’s View Side by Side feature
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 1](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/1/1b/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-1-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-1-Version-2.jpg)
- Go to the folder where you saved the Excel workbook, select and open each file individually.
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- This option may not be clearly visible under the View tab if you only have one workbook open in Excel.
- If there are two worksheets open, Excel will automatically select these files as documents to display in parallel mode.
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- In the pop-up menu, you can choose to have the spreadsheet horizontal ( Horizontal ), vertical ( Vertical ), cascaded ( Cascade ), or tiled ( Tiled ).
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Use the Lookup feature
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- Go to the folder where you saved the Excel workbook, select and open each file individually.
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 8](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/a0/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-8.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-8.jpg)
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- On old versions of Excel, the DATA toolbar will pop up after you select the DATA tab, and the Validation option will be replaced with Data Validation .
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 11](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/c/c1/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-11.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-11.jpg)
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Using XL Comparator
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 22](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/c/ce/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-22.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-22.jpg)
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- The column names will show up when you click the drop-down menu.
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 26](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/a7/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-26.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-26.jpg)
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- If you want to do another comparison, you can click New comparison in the lower-right corner of the page to restart the file upload process.
Direct access to Excel file from cell
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 30](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/54/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-30.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-30.jpg)
- In this case, we’ll use three examples of worksheet names and locations as follows:
- C:CompareBook1.xls (contains a sheet named “Sales 1999”)
- C:CompareBook2.xls (contains a sheet named “Sales 2000”)
- Both spreadsheets have the first column “A” with the product name, the second column “B” with the number sold each year. The first row is the name of the column.
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 31](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/4/4f/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-31.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-31.jpg)
- C:CompareBook3.xls (containing the sheet named “Comparison”)
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 32](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/6a/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-32.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-32.jpg)
- =’C:Compare[Book1.xls]Sales 1999′!A1
- If you are using another directory, replace “C:Compare” with that path. If the file name is not “Book1.xls”, correct it with the name you are using. In case the sheet name is also different, you need to replace “Sales 1999” with the current name. Note: do not open the file you are referencing (“Book1.xls”) as Excel may change the reference you are adding if the document is opened. As a result, the highlighted cell will have the same content as the cell you reference.
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 33](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e3/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-33.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-33.jpg)
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- =’C:Compare[Book2.xls]Sales 2000′!B2-‘C:Compare[Book1.xls]Sales 1999’!B2
- You can do all the usual Excel operations with the referenced cell of the file being referenced.
![Image titled Compare Two Excel Files Step 35](https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/69/Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-35.jpg/v4-728px-Compare-Two-Excel-Files-Step-35.jpg)
Advice
- Important note: you need to check to make sure that all referenced files are closed. If any files are open, Excel can overwrite what you type in the cell and make the file inaccessible later (unless you reopen it).
This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.
The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.
This article has been viewed 1,764 times.
This article will show you how to directly compare data between two Excel files. After manipulating and comparing the information, you might consider using Look Up, Index, and Match to aid in your analysis.
In conclusion, comparing two Excel files is an essential task for individuals and businesses alike to ensure accuracy, identify differences, and make informed decisions. By following the step-by-step process discussed in this guide, users can effectively compare two Excel files and highlight discrepancies in data, formulas, formats, and more. Whether it is for financial analysis, data verification, or project management, employing the various comparison methods available, such as using built-in Excel functionalities or utilizing third-party software, can significantly streamline the comparison process. Additionally, understanding the importance of data integrity, maintaining consistent file structures, and utilizing effective file naming conventions further enhances the efficiency of the comparison process. Overall, successfully comparing two Excel files requires attention to detail, thoroughness, and consistent organizational practices, leading to accurate analysis and improved decision-making.
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