No Find Field in MS-Word docs after Sonoma upgrade

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No Find Field in MS-Word docs after Sonoma upgrade

I have been using MS-Word for Mac (Microsoft 365) 16.82 for ages, but this week, I had to migrate to a new Mac Mini (2023), and it came with Sonoma installed.

Have been sorting out some of the other flaky stuff, but now have found a problem where I'm stumped. In my Word docs -- old ones before the upgrade AND new test ones since the upgrade -- there is no find field when I want to do a word search.

Here's what it is supposed to look like (courtesy of my laptop, where it still works correctly):

But ever since changing to the new OS, it's gone.

Command-F does nothing that I can see.

There is a workaround -- either turning on a sidebar with search there all the time, or else using the pull-down menu every time -- but I want the quick keyboard shortcut that pops up a field and then goes away when I'm done. It worked just fine until my new OS went in.

I saw the issues with Pages, but this is not the same (and my "Find" in Pages is working correctly).

Any suggestions? Anyone else had this happen? Thanks.

Mac mini (M2, 2023)

Posted on Mar 9, 2024 6:46 AM

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Answer 1

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owlsdaughter Author

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Mar 9, 2024 2:33 PM in response to owlsdaughter

But wait .. there's more!

And I have you to thank -- again!

Because in your reply you jogged my brain to notice that I had (and you had!) referred to my running Word 16.82. And yes, that's what's on my laptop.

But it was NOT what was running on my Mac mini because it was so out of date, it couldn't install newer updates. So.. yes, I finally figured out that my desktop Word was way, way out of date, and now, having just updated it, everything works. Plus -- bonus! I now have a keyboard shortcut for Find and Replace. So thanks VERY much again! :)

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

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128,670 points

Mar 9, 2024 12:23 PM in response to owlsdaughter

Apple uses the 🔍 symbol in the menu extras for Spotlight access and on MS Word v16.82, it appears here in an open document:

So, I am calling it a Spotlight symbol… 😎 and single-clicking on it does the same thing as the ⌘F shortcut.

I am using Office 2021 for Mac Home and Business.

I just assigned a keyboard shortcut in Word for that Find > Advanced Find and Replace… menu item.

Visit System Settings > Keyboard > [ Keyboard Shortcuts… ] > App Shortcuts panel. Click [+] to bring up a new panel. Click the All Applications selector and choose Microsoft Word.

Next, the exact menu title you want to enter is: Advanced Find and Replace… (that is an ellipsis or opt+; on U.S. keyboard).

Then I used the shift+option+cmd+F key sequence for the keyboard shortcut. Then click Done and exit System Settings. The shortcut is now active.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

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128,670 points

Mar 9, 2024 8:18 AM in response to owlsdaughter

In Word v16.82 on Sonoma 14.4 (M2 Mini Pro) the cmd+F shortcut and clicking on the Spotlight symbol 🔍˯ achieve the same result — they open a simple search box. However, if you click the magnifying glass after the expansion, you wll see an option for Replace which opens the following panel on the left side of the open document:

And if you click that gear icon to the left of the [Find] button above, the last menu entry is Advanced Find & Replace… Too bad Microsoft did not assign a keyboard shortcut to the Advanced Find & Replace panel.

Pages is not a Word clone and is guaranteed to work differently… 🙃

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Answer 4

owlsdaughter Author

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Mar 9, 2024 10:40 AM in response to VikingOSX

Sorry, maybe I am not understanding what you're saying but .. there is no spotlight symbol.

There is nothing that happens at all when I either Command-F or use the pull-down to Find. Nothing happens.

The only thing that gives me a Find field is "Advanced Find and Replace." So yes, I have a workaround, but Word is not working the way it is supposed to.

Find, Find Next, and Find Previous do not pop up a prompt field. Nothing happens. I do not get any kind of magnifying glass, gear icon, or field such as you are showing.

And yes, if MS had given us a keyboard shortcut for Advanced Find & Replace, it would have helped because that is the ONLY way I can do a document search now, as far as I can tell. Something isn't right.

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Answer 5

owlsdaughter Author

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Mar 9, 2024 7:08 AM in response to owlsdaughter

ps: the workaround of using the pull-down menu doesn't really work properly. The only "Find" that actually gives me a field is "Advanced Find and Replace." The pull-down for Find does nothing.

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Answer 6

owlsdaughter Author

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8 points

Mar 9, 2024 1:47 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you! I would never in a million years have figured that out. Works great. Now if I can just get Time Machine to work again! (only half joking)...

Seriously, I'm very grateful, VikingOSX.

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Answer 7

VikingOSX

Level 10

128,670 points

Mar 9, 2024 3:31 PM in response to owlsdaughter

You are welcome.

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No Find Field in MS-Word docs after Sonoma upgrade

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