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Lab 10 · Module 2 · Communicate and Organize
OneDrive: Compare Versions
Step 1: why this is needed and what each entry does
Give OneDrive the versions to compare (Put the three drafts in OneDrive). Compare files works on files stored in your work OneDrive, in the browser.
- OneDrive on the web
- Compare files is a OneDrive web feature with a work account. The desktop sync folder and personal OneDrive do not offer it.
- One folder
- So you can select all three at once.
Step 2: why this is needed and what each entry does
Let Copilot list the differences (Compare the files). Three versions of a procedure, edited by different people. Reading them side by side is slow; Copilot makes a table.
- Compare files
- Produces a table of differences across the selected files and keeps the chat open for follow-up questions.
- Up to five files
- Three is enough here. Images and videos are not supported.
Step 3: why this is needed and what each entry does
Separate wording changes from meaning changes (Run the prompt). The table shows what changed. The prompt asks which changes alter a rule, role, deadline, exception or approval.
- Wording vs meaning
- A comma is wording. Changing who approves is meaning. Copilot sometimes files a meaning change under wording.
Step 4: why this is needed and what each entry does
Open the originals (Confirm the two biggest changes and record). The comparison is only as good as the two changes you confirm by eye.
- Five Checks
- Source: which file. Verification: did you open it. Context: did the caveats survive. Resilience: would it still hold if the data changed. Authorized Owner: who signs off before anyone acts on it.
The prompts for this lab: copy and paste
Same prompts as in the Prompts section and the Do it steps. Paste each one whole.
Overview
What we are doing
- The situation
- Three drafts of the response section of SR-100 (the Service Request Procedure) are circulating. One of them will become the rule. You need to know which edits change the meaning.
- Your role
- You are the reviewer who checks drafts before they go to the procedure owner.
- Your task
- Use Copilot to find which edits actually change the meaning.
- Files you need
- File 10: versions v1, v2, and v3.
- Done when
- You have a table that separates wording-only changes from changes in meaning. You confirmed the two biggest changes in the original drafts.
- Why it matters
- A meaning change labeled wording only slips into policy without review. The authorized owner decides what the rule says; you make the changes visible.
Check before you finish
- Did Copilot label any change in meaning as “wording only”?
How to do it: the basic steps
4 steps, one screen each. Select the ? on a card for why the step is needed and what each entry does.
- Give OneDrive the versions to compare (Put the three drafts in OneDrive)
Why: Compare files works on files stored in your work OneDrive, in the browser.
- Download v1, v2, v3
- onedrive (work account)
- One folder
- Upload
Download 10_Procedure_Section_v1.docx, v2 and v3 from the Files step. Open OneDrive on the web with your work account, make a folder, and Upload the three files into it.
- Let Copilot list the differences (Compare the files)
Why: Three versions of a procedure, edited by different people. Reading them side by side is slow; Copilot makes a table.
- Check boxes v1, v2, v3
- Copilot (command bar)
- Compare files
Tick the check boxes next to v1, v2 and v3 (up to five files can be compared). Select Copilot in the command bar, then Compare files. Also works from the ... menu, then Copilot, then Compare files. A Copilot pane opens with a comparison table.
- Separate wording changes from meaning changes (Run the prompt)
Why: The table shows what changed. The prompt asks which changes alter a rule, role, deadline, exception or approval.
- Copilot pane
- Copy prompt
- Send
In the Copilot pane that opened, select Show the prompts below, copy the Compare prompt, paste, Send.
- Open the originals (Confirm the two biggest changes and record)
Why: The comparison is only as good as the two changes you confirm by eye.
- Open v1 and v3
- Find each change
- Five Checks
Open the original files and find the two biggest changes yourself. Did Copilot call any meaningful change wording only? Run the Five Checks: Source, Verification, Context, Resilience, Authorized Owner. Then mark the lab steps done.
= why the step is needed and what each entry does. Like this = something you select or click. Like this = something you type or paste.
Microsoft changes these screens often; a label on your screen may differ slightly. If a button is missing, your organization may not have turned the feature on: use the Path B steps.
Where to click
- OneDrive
- select file 10 v1, v2, v3
- Copilot
- Compare files
Watch where to click Illustration - not the actual Copilot screen
A simplified, labeled diagram of the clicks. It is not the actual Copilot screen. The step list below the player is the text version.
Do it: step by step
Check off each step as you go. Your progress saves in this browser.
Prompts: weak vs strong
Follow the brackets. The detailed prompt is built from the four C.H.A.T. parts: [Context], [How come], [Assign task], and [Type of output]. Keep the labels when you paste it; Copilot reads them fine, and they help you check that each part is there.
Compare a vague prompt with a detailed, source-checkable prompt. The activity below separates the request from the Guardrails (limits you add, such as "cite the source" or "do not decide for a person") you need before use.
Compare prompt
What changed?
[Context] I am reviewing three drafts (v1, v2, and v3) of the response section of SR-100, the Service Request Procedure, before one becomes final. I shared all three drafts. [How come] I need to find which edits actually change the meaning. [Assign task] Compare the three versions I shared (v1, v2, and v3). [Type of output] Build a table of changes to the response deadline, responsible role, escalation steps, exceptions, approvals, and removed language. Separate wording changes from changes that alter meaning.
Why the detailed version works (letter by letter)
- CContext
I am reviewing three drafts (v1, v2, and v3) of the response section of SR-100
- HHow come
I need to find which edits actually change the meaning
- AAssign task
Compare the three versions I shared
- TType of output
Build a table of changes to the response deadline, responsible role, escalation steps, exceptions, approvals, and removed language
- GGuardrail: make it checkable
Separate wording changes from changes that alter meaning
Quiz
Self-check only. Answers stay on your device.
Path B Text Pack and downloads
Download the practice files (Path A)
Path A (full access): these downloads are for you. Save them where Copilot can reach them (OneDrive for the Office app labs). Path B: nothing to download; the files are below as text, ready to paste. Path C: nothing to download; read the text below when you check sources.
Path B (Chat only): short steps
- Select Copy all files + prompts for this lab below (all three versions and the prompt), paste it into the chat, and select Send.
- Find the two biggest changes in the pasted versions yourself.
[Context] I am reviewing three drafts (v1, v2, and v3) of the response section of SR-100, the Service Request Procedure, before one becomes final. I shared all three drafts. [How come] I need to find which edits actually change the meaning. [Assign task] Compare the three versions I shared (v1, v2, and v3). [Type of output] Build a table of changes to the response deadline, responsible role, escalation steps, exceptions, approvals, and removed language. Separate wording changes from changes that alter meaning.
File 10 v1 - Procedure Section, Version 1 (934 characters)
FICTIONAL TRAINING FILE - The City of Fernhollow, its staff, residents and data are invented for the CPS HR Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop. Do not use real work data. SR-100 DRAFT SECTION: RESPONSE, EXTENSIONS AND ESCALATION ========================================================= Version 1 · Drafted May 12, 2026 · Status: working draft A. The Intake Specialist responds to each non-emergency request within 10 business days of receipt. B. The deadline may be extended by up to 10 business days when the request requires a site visit or information from a third party. The Unit Supervisor approves extensions. C. The resident is told about any extension. D. Requests not resolved within 15 business days go to the Unit Supervisor for review. The Unit Supervisor approves escalation to the Division Manager. E. A resident may request escalation at any time. F. Staff should try to resolve requests on first contact when possible.
File 10 v2 - Procedure Section, Version 2 (982 characters)
FICTIONAL TRAINING FILE - The City of Fernhollow, its staff, residents and data are invented for the CPS HR Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop. Do not use real work data. SR-100 DRAFT SECTION: RESPONSE, EXTENSIONS AND ESCALATION ========================================================= Version 2 · Revised June 3, 2026 · Status: review draft A. The Assigned Case Worker responds to each non-emergency request within 5 business days of receipt. B. The deadline may be extended by up to 10 business days when the request requires a site visit or information from a third party. The Unit Supervisor must approve each extension in writing before the original deadline passes. C. The resident is notified in writing of any extension, the reason, and the new date. D. Requests not resolved within 15 business days go to the Unit Supervisor for review. The Unit Supervisor approves escalation to the Division Manager. F. Staff should try to resolve requests on first contact when possible.
File 10 v3 - Procedure Section, Version 3 (987 characters)
FICTIONAL TRAINING FILE - The City of Fernhollow, its staff, residents and data are invented for the CPS HR Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop. Do not use real work data. SR-100 DRAFT SECTION: RESPONSE, EXTENSIONS AND ESCALATION ========================================================= Version 3 · Revised June 17, 2026 · Status: final review draft A. The Assigned Case Worker replies to each non-emergency request within 5 business days of receipt. B. The deadline may be extended by up to 10 business days when the request requires a site visit. The Unit Supervisor must approve each extension in writing before the original deadline passes. C. The resident is notified in writing about any extension, the reason for it, and the new date. D. Requests that are not resolved within 15 business days are sent to the Unit Supervisor for review. The Unit Supervisor approves any escalation to the Division Manager. F. Staff should aim to resolve requests on first contact whenever possible.
Path C (Watch and verify): Compare v2 and v3 yourself and find the one change that alters meaning.
Debrief question: Which planted change did Copilot miss or call a wording change?