How to Get CTRL + F Back in Word 2010

I get so many complaints from Word users regarding the use of CTRL + F in Word 2010. The good news is that it has always been within your power to make it work as it did in earlier versions!

In Word 2010, CTRL + F no longer will display the Find tab of the Find and Replace dialog box. Now, it displays a pane at the left side of your screen that will allow simple searching and navigation. Apparently it irritates the heck out of a lot of folks. You can still click on CTRL + H and click on the Find tab, but folks are fussy don’t ya know and they want their CTRL + F to work for them like it used to!

Follow the steps below to learn how to do this:

1. Display the File tab of your Ribbon
2. Click Options to display the Word Options dialog box.
3. On the left-hand side, click Customize Ribbon.
4. At the lower left-side of the dialog box, click Customize to display the Customize Keyboard dialog box.
5. On your Home tab, in the Categories list, click the Home tab.
6. In the Commands list, locate EditFind and click on it to select it.

7. Be certain your cursor is in the Press New Shortcut Key box.
8. Click CTRL + F. Just below the Current Keys box, Word will inform you that this shortcut key is currently assigned to the NavPaneSearch command.
9. Click the Assign button.
10. Click Close to close the Customize Keyboard dialog box.
11. Click OK to close the Word Options dialog box.

Now, when you click CTRL + F, you will see the Find tab of the Find and Replace dialog box, just the way you always did!