Track data changes problem (1 Viewer)

I'm building a report which should highlight/change text color in field values in a modified table which have changed relative to field values in an original table. I'm using the same conditional formatting on all my fields: e.g. on the field named [Primary Instructor] in the report on the modified table, I have "Value <> Reports![F2015original]![Primary Instructor]", where I reference an identical report on the original table. Both are loaded.

My problem: it's reading all values as changed/different, even when both visual inspection and copy/paste indicate that the values are identical. Thus my report highlights all values for the field, rather than only those which have changed. The reports have identical non-conditional formatting and data type.

Any thoughts?

I don't think you can do it the way you describe, then how do you point to the same record in the second report? What you've now would always point to the first record in the second report.
I would use a query with both the original and the change value in it, then you can compare both values per record.

hmmm, I had assumed that, in the modified report [F2015modified] in which I'm applying the conditional formatting, pointing to [Instructor] would return each successive value as it cycled thru the records by primary key, thus comparing, record by record, [F2015modified][Instructor] to [F2015original][Instructor]. I'll admit that I'm a professor of philosophy, not a programmer or database specialist, so using a report seemed the most obvious choice.

Should I go learn SQL as it maps onto the propositional calculus?

Not sure if it just how you have posted it but with conditional formatting you complete 2 drop downs and a formula e.g.

Field Value Is.... not equal to..... Reports![F2015original]![Primary Instructor]

which is not the same as

Value <> Reports![F2015original]![Primary Instructor]

but noting JHB you can try

Field Value Is.... not equal to..... dlookup("[Primary Instructor]","OriginalTable","PrimaryID=" & primaryID)

although dlookups are quite slow so if you have a large number of records you may not be happy with the performance

You may be better to modify your report recordsource to bring through both tables - linking on say primaryID then you formatting would be something like

Field Value Is.... not equal to..... [orginaltable].[Primary Instructor]