Open both Excel files side by side
Check workbook names, sheet names, and sheet order
Compare cell values manually for matching sheets
Use formulas like `=A1=Sheet2!A1` to compare specific cells
Use Conditional Formatting to highlight differences
Use `IF` formulas to flag mismatched values
Use `EXACT` for case-sensitive text comparison
Use `VLOOKUP`, `XLOOKUP`, or `INDEX-MATCH` to compare matching records
Sort both datasets by a common key before comparing
Use Excel’s Spreadsheet Compare tool if available
Use Power Query to merge and compare tables
Use VBA macro to automate comparison
Compare formulas, not just displayed results
Check formatting differences separately if needed
Compare row counts and column counts
Save a backup copy before making changes