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

Inserting the Template Name in Your Document

Templates are a powerful part of the Word experience, as they allow you to create and format documents based on patterns. ...

Discover More

Rounding to Even and Odd Values

Want to round values so they are always even or odd? You can do it quickly and easily by using the EVEN and ODD worksheet ...

Discover More

Recovered Document becomes Default

Word has a feature called AutoRecover that helps you when Word or Windows crashes. If your Normal template gets messed up ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Determining How Many Styles are Available

Got a macro that processes or uses styles? You definitely need to know how many styles Word has available in the ...

Discover More

Selecting a Bookmark in a Macro

Bookmarks can be very handy in a document. Word provides a VBA command you can use to easily select any of those bookmarks.

Discover More

Creating a Document Font List

If you want a list of all the fonts used in a document, the answer isn't as simple as you may think. This tip uses macros ...

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 5 + 1?

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.