Start with the file status
| Status | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Same | No meaningful differences were found under the settings used for this run. |
| Different | Meaningful changes were found. Select the file to inspect them. |
| Missing / new | One side has no matching file at that relative path. |
| Error | The file pair could not be reliably compared. Read the error before drawing a conclusion. |
Same does not mean byte-for-byte identical. Workbook packaging, saved metadata, or file size can differ without a reported meaningful change. Settings also matter: an ignored category or a numeric tolerance can hide changes you deliberately chose not to count.
Find a file
The All, Different, Missing / new, Errors, and Same buttons filter the file list. Find file searches filenames and folder paths.
Files per page offers 10, 25, 50, or 100 entries. Use Previous, the page numbers, and Next to move through the list. Pagination does not limit how many files were checked.
Select a file row to load its details below. If nothing is shown, clear your search and status filter before assuming the result is missing.
Make a long list easier to read
| Control | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Category | Show all categories or just one kind of change, such as Formatting. |
| Sort by | Workbook order, Category, Worksheet, or Cell / location. |
| View | Group repeated changes puts repeated patterns together with an occurrence count. Every individual change shows separate records. |
| Find | Search category, worksheet, location, property, baseline value, and new value. |
Grouping is a presentation aid. It does not remove changes from the comparison. A grouped row can stand for many occurrences, and one cell can have several properties changed. The total is not necessarily the number of changed cells.
Double-click a detail row or press Enter to open it side by side. A grouped row opens its first occurrence.
Check whether the run finished
Look for an early-stop message, a plus sign after the count, or a cancelled folder run. A full scan with No limit can count more than the first 5,000 detailed records retained per file. Increasing the display limit cannot bring back details that were never retained.
Also check the ignored count and the settings used. If the result looks unexpectedly quiet, remove unwanted ignore rules, check tolerance, and compare again.
Export results to CSV exports all stored file results and retained individual details, including ones hidden by the current filters. It is not an export of just the visible table.
Still have a question?
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