File Open Dialog Box Changes

[Gordon Londini]

I have noticed a change in the format of the "open file" dialog box from Word 2000 to Word XP (and probably Office products in general). In Word 2000 and prior, the file open dialog box included a "searching" feature. For example, if I had a lot of files in a directory named letterH334, letterH224, letterH445 and memoC111, memo C222, memoC334 and so on I could type in "letter" or "memo" in the file name section of the open file dialogue box and Word would actually "search" the folder and display only the files that contained "letter" or "memo". This was INCREDIBLY useful and especially in a directory that has a considerable number of files narrowing the selection became very easy.

Now in Word XP, this "search" feature within the open file dialogue seems to have been removed. Is there a way that I can access a different "open file" dialogue box or an option someplace that would allow that functionality again?

Thanks for any help you can give
Gordon

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Gordon

Try the following. File > Open. In the File name box, type say memo*
and press Enter or Tab. The * acts as a wildcard and basically means
"anything". So searching for files named memo* will locate all the files
whose names begin with "memo", without regard for subsequent characters
in the filename.

You can create quite sophisticated searches very easily. So search for
say *H3* would return all the letters and memos with H3 in the middle
of the name. Or you could search for for *34, which would capture
letterH334 and memoC334

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
Melbourne, Australia

I have noticed a change in the format of the "open file" dialog box

from Word 2000 to Word XP (and probably Office products in general). In
Word 2000 and prior, the file open dialog box included a "searching"
feature. For example, if I had a lot of files in a directory named
letterH334, letterH224, letterH445 and memoC111, memo C222, memoC334 and
so on I could type in "letter" or "memo" in the file name section of the
open file dialogue box and Word would actually "search" the folder and
display only the files that contained "letter" or "memo". This was
INCREDIBLY useful and especially in a directory that has a considerable
number of files narrowing the selection became very easy.

Now in Word XP, this "search" feature within the open file dialogue

seems to have been removed. Is there a way that I can access a
different "open file" dialogue box or an option someplace that would
allow that functionality again?

 

[Gordon Londini]

Thanks for the answer Shauna, that does help

I am curious to nkow if the search feature in XP that requires the * to be included is something that can be turned off

In Word 2000, I could accomplish that search without including the * in any portion of the name field. I could just type 334 for example and it would accomplish the search

It does not seem like that big a deal but being able to just type a series of numbers or letters is easier than having to include the * each time

Thanks again for your answer and any additional input you can supply

Gordon

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Gordon

I don't believe that there's any way to put this part of XP back the way
it was in Word 2000.

However, there are two really good things about the File > Open dialog
in 2002 and 2003 that weren't there in 2000. One is that you can stretch
the size of the dialog to be as small or as large as you like. Now, when
I use Word 2000 I get *so* frustrated that I can't stretch the dialog as
I can in Word 2002.

Second, there's the Places Bar (the wide grey strip down the left hand
side of the dialog box). You can add your favourite folders to that
list. Just navigate in the File > Open dialog, click on a folder name
and, while the name of the folder is highlighted, click Tools > Add To
My Places. You can then right-click the Name to make adjustments of
various kinds.

If we can't have everything in life, then I'd give up the search
mechanism for the two new changes!

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
Melbourne, Australia

Thanks for the answer Shauna, that does help.

I am curious to nkow if the search feature in XP that requires the *

to be included is something that can be turned off?

In Word 2000, I could accomplish that search without including the *

in any portion of the name field. I could just type 334 for example and
it would accomplish the search.

It does not seem like that big a deal but being able to just type a

series of numbers or letters is easier than having to include the * each
time.

 

[Gordon Londini]

Shauna,

Thanks! I love your attitude and the information you have given is right on the mark! Thanks for the help.

Gordon