What happened to CTRL+F in Word 2010

When you click that key combination it no longer opens up the Find & Replace dialog box. What happens since version 2010, is that a pane will appear on the left-hand side of your screen that will allow you to search.

Personally, I feel as it I have been cheated. All this nice new software and the good folks at Microsoft seem to have gone backwards on this part! You can click on CTRL + H | Find but it would be so much nicer to have it as it once was – simple and efficient. You can make it happen!

Follow the steps below to learn how:

1. Click on the File tab of your Ribbon.
2. Click Options to display the Word options dialog box.
3. On the left-hand side of your dialog box, click Customize Ribbon.
4. On the lower left-hand corner of your dialog box, click Customize. The dialog box will display.
5. Click on the Home tab of the Categories list.
6. In the Commands list, click once on EditFind to select it.
7. Be certain your cursor is in the Press New Shortcut Key box.
8. Click CTRL + F. Just under the Current Keys box, Word will inform you that this shortcut key is current 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 then, when you click CTRL + F, you will see the familiar Find tab of the Find and Replace dialog box that you were used to.