Find and Replace

[Guest]

The "find and replace" application has quit working. This has happened on
several of our computers. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Jay Freedman]

The "find and replace" application has quit working. This has
happened on several of our computers. Does anybody have any
suggestions?

Sorry, that's far too little information for a diagnosis. As a start:

- What version of Word is installed?
- On what version of Windows is it running?
- Is Norton AntiVirus installed on the same machines?

- What happens when you use the Edit > Find or Edit > Replace menu item?
- What happens when you use the Ctrl+F or Ctrl+H shortcut?
For these two questions, (a) is there no response, (b) is there an error
message, and if so what's the exact wording, or (c) does it go through the
motions but claim there's nothing to find when there clearly is?

Depending on the answers to these questions, more information may be
necessary.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Do these machines have Word running continuously? Does it return if you
close Word then re-open it?
If not checkout the troubleshooting tips at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProbsOpeningWord.htm and attend to
http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Guest]

Jay,
I am having a similar situation at work and I DO have more specifics. Three
days ago (5/18/05) for the third time my Word's FIND AND REPLACE quit
working. This is at my office. I'm on a good sized network. My OS is
Windows 2000. I'm using Office 2003 (though the same thing exactly happened
to me with the previous version of Office, just a few months ago - twice).

The ap isn't completely failing to launch, but the dialog box is failing to
launch. So, I can search clumsily (though I can't effectively edit what goes
into the window where I type my search string) but to replace is well nigh
impossible. Using edit>find won't work nor will using Ctrl+F. There is no
error message. Norton AV is not installed, but McAfee IS installed.

When an IT tech comes to work on it, FIND AND REPLACE does work when he
tries it using his profile. His fix in the past has been to create a
completely new profile and to copy all files to the new profile - thereby
messing up all sorts of settings, making macros in Excel to not work, making
my automatic backup software to have to be reporgrammed etc. It's sort of
like amputation above the knee to treat a hangnail.

I'd sure like some help, because the "experts" at my office are driving me
nuts!

Patrick

 

[Graham Mayor]

This sounds like minor corruption of the Word data key in the registry - see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProbsOpeningWord.htm and check out
http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Guest]

Graham,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I couldn't find anything on your site about
fixing a Word Data Key. I'm partially through reviewing information on the
MVPS site, but have to leave for church right now. I was quite pleased to
see in some of the material you pointed me to that I might be able to remove
adins like the adobe pdf adins that I never asked for and would like to
eliminate.

I'm very interested in resolving this issue.

Thanks,

Patrick

 

[Graham Mayor]

You will find instructions on resetting the data key at
http://www.gmayor.com/my_toolbars_are_missing.htm, but back the key up first
(or rename it olddata) should you wish to restore it.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Guest]

Graham,

I just experimented with the instructions. Performed them on my laptop
(which was running fine, so I don't see changes) resetting/by renaming all
three keys in the \Data folder, but tomorrow at the office I'll do it (or if
I've again had my admin privileges taken away will get my IT tech to do it
for me).

Now, when I resed the data key on my laptop I was hoping it would eliminate
the PDFMaker 5.0 toolbar that adobe put on my word and, while I can remove it
for individual sessions, it always returns be default whenever I restart
word. Any suggestions as to how to do that?

 

[Graham Mayor]

The Adobe toolbar has nothing to do with the registry. That is set by an
add-in - see http://www.gmayor.com/lose_that_adobe_acrobat_toolbar.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Guest]

Graham,

Once I got to the office, I reset the Word data key in the registry doing as
you suggested. Nothing happened. I rebooted two or three times and lo and
behold, w/o explanation, the FIND AND REPLACE began to work completely.

Great advice.

Thanks for the fix.

Patrick