Beth notes that in Word 2003, if she did not recall the name of a document or where it was filed, she could search for it by specific text that she knew was in the document. She could do this either from the Tools menu or from the Open dialog box. Beth wonders if there is a way to do this in later versions of Word.
The short answer is yes, there is a way. If you display the Open dialog box, you'll see a search box at the upper-right corner. Type in what you want to find, and Word goes to work trying to find documents that match your search criteria. Depending on which version of Word you are using, you may need to click the small icon that looks like a magnifying glass to start the search process.
The longer answer is no, there is not as "full featured" of a search available in Word as there used to be in older versions of the program. Instead, more in-depth searching has been abandoned in Word itself in favor of the search capabilities of Windows. If you haven't used Windows' search capabilities, you may want to check it out. They will out-perform anything you used to be able to do in previous versions of Word.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7138) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Want to close or save all your documents at the same time? This trick does it for you.
Discover MoreWord has the capability to save your work, in the background, while you continue to edit your documents. This tip ...
Discover MoreWant to rename a document that is already on your hard drive? You can, of course, do it in Windows, but you can also do ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-09-14 15:53:31
Don Mattocks
I use Word for the Mac. Is there any thing close to the Windows search you describe here (Searching for a Document) available for Mac? Thank you
2014-07-10 19:26:28
Jace
Oh no! You CANNOT be recommending using Windows' search feature, it's completely undependable and very often useless. I thought everybody knew this. The best free search tool I have found is Searchopia.
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2020 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments