Macro Won't Limit Replacements to a Selection

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 28, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Roger recently updated from Word 2007 to Word 2019. In Word 2007 he created a macro that would, for text he selected, replace all hard returns with a space. It worked great, making the changes in just the selection. In Word 2019 it does the replacement not just in the selected text, but in the whole document. His macro has the .Wrap property of the Find object set to wdFindAsk, but it seems to be ignored. Roger wonders why the macro doesn't work the same in Word 2019 as it did in Word 2007.

This is, flat out, a bug in Word. It was first noticed in Word 2010, and has yet to be corrected by Microsoft. The problem is the use of wdFindAsk. Until such point as Microsoft decides to fix the problem (so that wdFindAsk works as it should), the only solution is to change the .Wrap property to wdFindStop, which causes the Find and Replace operation to stop at the end of the selected text.

There are also workarounds you can implement. The easiest would be to have your macro ask the user, before doing the Find and Replace operation, if just the selection should be affected or if the entire document should be affected. Based on the response, you could set the .Wrap property to wdFindStop or wdFindContinue, as appropriate. A different workaround that approximates the correct behavior of wdFindAsk can be found at this web page:

https://blogs.msmvps.com/wordmeister/2013/01/03/bug-word-2013-wdfindask/

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13795) applies to Microsoft Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Footnotes within Footnotes

Need to add footnotes to your footnotes? It's actually allowed by some style guides, but Word doesn't make it so easy.

Discover More

Counting Wins and Losses

Need to count the number of W (win) or L (loss) characters in a range of cells? You can develop a number of formulaic ...

Discover More

Understanding Fill Effects

Want to fill a drawing shape with more than just a color? Word allows you to use all sorts of fills, as described in this ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Understanding Subroutines

The heart of creating powerful programs in VBA is to understand how to create subroutines. These structures allow you to ...

Discover More

Toggling Font Assignments in a Macro

If you need to quickly switch a text selection from one typeface to another, one way you can do it is with a macro. This ...

Discover More

Changing ToolTips for a Macro Button

Want to change the ToolTip that appears when you hover the mouse pointer over a tool on the Quick Access Toolbar? Here's ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is seven more than 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

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.