Find File Search Feature Finds Non-Matching Documents

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SYMPTOMS

If you use the Search feature in the Find File command (Find command in versions 1.x of Word for Windows) and type search criteria in the Any Text box, sometimes Word for Windows finds documents that do not contain the search text.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs if you saved the file using the Fast Save option, which appends changes to your document instead of performing a full save to integrate the changes. When the Find File Search feature searches a document saved using Fast Save, it searches the entire file, including the appended changes, which may include text you subsequently deleted from the document.

This problem also occurs because Find File searches the file's binary header and finds text strings based on previous names of the document. For example, if you had a file originally named test1.doc and you saved the file as test2.doc, Find File will find test1.doc as well as test2.doc, even though you searched for any text containing test2.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Microsoft Word for Windows listed above. This problem was corrected in Word version 7.0 for Windows 95.

WORKAROUND

To obtain a correct list of files based on search criteria in the Any Text box, you must first perform a full save of the documents, without the Fast Save option selected.

MORE INFORMATION

Word versions 1.x marks Fast Save files with an asterisk (*) in the Find dialog box. In Word version 2.0, the Find File command does not mark Fast Save files.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 81-83, 733
"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.x, pages 84, 309

Additional query words: 1.x 2.0 winword2 word6 winword button 6.0

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,1.1a,2.0,2.0a,2.0a-CD,2.0b,2.0c,6.0,6.0a,6.0c
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :