Word 2007 SP1, highlighting disappears

[Megan Morgan]

In Word 2007, choose Ctrl+F, type in your search, click Highlight All. This
much works. However, as soon as you continue to type to add more to the
document, all of the highlighting that was just created above disappears.
Also, if you don't type but choose Print to try to print the highlighting,
the highlighting doesn't print. This didn't happen in Word 2003.

Megan Morgan

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I think you're confusing two uses of the word "highlight." In Word 2003, as
in Word 2007, using Find All (Highlight All) merely selects the found text.
If you want to apply a highlight, you have to use the Replace function to
find text and apply highlighting through Format | Highlight. The currently
selected highlight color will be used.

If you have actually applied highlighting to the text, it will be printed or
not depending on whether or not it's actually displayed on the page, which
depends on a display option. In Word 2007, this is Office Button | Word
Options | Display: Show highlighter marks.

 

[Megan Morgan]

The first one was the problem. The Replace fixes it. I suspect the reason it
wasn't printing is because it really wasn't there since Replace wasn't used.

Thanks,
Megan

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

That's what I thought, but I couldn't be 100% sure and figured it was worth
including the other information for good measure. Although users have long
referred to text selection as "highlighting," I think it was a bad idea for
Word's designers to yield to this usage given that the term is reserved for
another function in Word.

 

[Beth Melton]

The "Reading Highlight" command in the Find dialog box is new in Word 2007.
It uses a yellow highlight, or last Highlight color selected, to identify
the found text. Of course it's still a bit confusing since, as noted, it
doesn't print and is removed if you edit the document.

The "Find All" functionality, which selects the text, is still available and
works similar to previous versions. The difference is the scope of the Find
can now be set to Text Boxes, Headers and Footers, and Comments if the
elements are present in the document.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't see the Find All function in the Find dialog in Word 2007, Beth.
Where are you seeing it? Keep in mind that in Word 2003, there is a check
box for "Highlight all items found in" [whatever is selected]. When that box
is checked, the Find Next button changes to Find All.

 

[Beth Melton]

I suspect I was thinking of Word 2003 in regards to wording. It's now called
"Find In". I see the button next to the "Reading Highlight" button in the
Find dialog box. If you click the "Find In" button you'll see a list of
choices for the Find scope. Note that "Main Document" will be the only
choice if you don't have headers/footers, text boxes, or comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

I don't see the Find All function in the Find dialog in Word 2007, Beth.
Where are you seeing it? Keep in mind that in Word 2003, there is a check
box for "Highlight all items found in" [whatever is selected]. When that
box is checked, the Find Next button changes to Find All.

The "Find All" functionality, which selects the text, is still available
and works similar to previous versions. The difference is the scope of
the Find can now be set to Text Boxes, Headers and Footers, and Comments
if the elements are present in the document.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Yes, I see that. But I don't see any Find All functionality other than the
Reading Highlight. My point is that the Reading Highlight appears to be the
same thing as "Highlight all items found" but unfortunately isn't. I don't
see any way to select all items found.

In Word 2003, you can use "Highlight all items found" to select every
occurrence the "Find what" text and then click back to the doc and apply
given formatting to just those selected found items. What is even more
useful is that you can Cut or Copy the selected text and paste it into
another document. It seems this functionality has been lost entirely in Word
2007.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I suspect I was thinking of Word 2003 in regards to wording. It's now
called "Find In". I see the button next to the "Reading Highlight" button
in the Find dialog box. If you click the "Find In" button you'll see a list
of choices for the Find scope. Note that "Main Document" will be the only
choice if you don't have headers/footers, text boxes, or comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

I don't see the Find All function in the Find dialog in Word 2007, Beth.
Where are you seeing it? Keep in mind that in Word 2003, there is a check
box for "Highlight all items found in" [whatever is selected]. When that
box is checked, the Find Next button changes to Find All.

The "Find All" functionality, which selects the text, is still available
and works similar to previous versions. The difference is the scope of
the Find can now be set to Text Boxes, Headers and Footers, and Comments
if the elements are present in the document.

 

[Beth Melton]

I'm not sure what the difference is. The "Find In" button I'm referring to
works like the "Highlight All items found" option -- it selects the found
data in the document as in previous versions.

I emailed you a screen shot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Yes, I see that. But I don't see any Find All functionality other than the
Reading Highlight. My point is that the Reading Highlight appears to be
the same thing as "Highlight all items found" but unfortunately isn't. I
don't see any way to select all items found.

In Word 2003, you can use "Highlight all items found" to select every
occurrence the "Find what" text and then click back to the doc and apply
given formatting to just those selected found items. What is even more
useful is that you can Cut or Copy the selected text and paste it into
another document. It seems this functionality has been lost entirely in
Word 2007.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I suspect I was thinking of Word 2003 in regards to wording. It's now
called "Find In". I see the button next to the "Reading Highlight" button
in the Find dialog box. If you click the "Find In" button you'll see a
list of choices for the Find scope. Note that "Main Document" will be the
only choice if you don't have headers/footers, text boxes, or comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

I don't see the Find All function in the Find dialog in Word 2007, Beth.
Where are you seeing it? Keep in mind that in Word 2003, there is a check
box for "Highlight all items found in" [whatever is selected]. When that
box is checked, the Find Next button changes to Find All.

The "Find All" functionality, which selects the text, is still
available and works similar to previous versions. The difference is the
scope of the Find can now be set to Text Boxes, Headers and Footers,
and Comments if the elements are present in the document.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ah, okay, now I'm finally getting it. But there is absolutely *no*
indication that this is equivalent to Find All, which I find much more
straightforward.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I'm not sure what the difference is. The "Find In" button I'm referring to
works like the "Highlight All items found" option -- it selects the found
data in the document as in previous versions.

I emailed you a screen shot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Yes, I see that. But I don't see any Find All functionality other than
the Reading Highlight. My point is that the Reading Highlight appears to
be the same thing as "Highlight all items found" but unfortunately isn't.
I don't see any way to select all items found.

In Word 2003, you can use "Highlight all items found" to select every
occurrence the "Find what" text and then click back to the doc and apply
given formatting to just those selected found items. What is even more
useful is that you can Cut or Copy the selected text and paste it into
another document. It seems this functionality has been lost entirely in
Word 2007.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I suspect I was thinking of Word 2003 in regards to wording. It's now
called "Find In". I see the button next to the "Reading Highlight" button
in the Find dialog box. If you click the "Find In" button you'll see a
list of choices for the Find scope. Note that "Main Document" will be the
only choice if you don't have headers/footers, text boxes, or comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton

What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

I don't see the Find All function in the Find dialog in Word 2007, Beth.
Where are you seeing it? Keep in mind that in Word 2003, there is a
check box for "Highlight all items found in" [whatever is selected].
When that box is checked, the Find Next button changes to Find All.

The "Find All" functionality, which selects the text, is still
available and works similar to previous versions. The difference is
the scope of the Find can now be set to Text Boxes, Headers and
Footers, and Comments if the elements are present in the document.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Suzanne,

I'm guessing, that this may have been an attempt, by combining two controls into one, to clear up confusion some folks had that
'Find All' didn't find 'all' it only found all of the items in the currently selected region. For example, if you selected 'main
document', 'Find All' didn't include the header and footer area.

Selecting 'Find in'=>Main document, without turning on the 'Reading Highlight' should select all of the matches in the document

But then they left the 'Replace All' button unchanged on the other tab of the same dialog <g>. I was expecting them to match the
change there. If you have first done a find in a certain region then switch to /replace\ and click [Replace][Replace All] 'All'
means in the selection/selected area, if no 'find in' is done and active then 'all' apparently means 'all' and can catch items in
main document and in headers/footers and text boxes.

================
Ah, okay, now I'm finally getting it. But there is absolutely *no*
indication that this is equivalent to Find All, which I find much more
straightforward.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill >>

--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Your explanation may be correct, but considering that the dropdown is right
under "Highlight all items found it" and Find All is active only when that
check box is checked, I never found that confusing at all. The new setup is
much more confusing to me.