Word 2004: Find/Replace on rectangular selection causes freeze

Posted by Pierre Igot in: Microsoft
August 2nd, 2005 • 12:53 pm

Open a new Word document. Type the following text:

1998-1999	blah
1999-2000	blah

with a tab character between the date range and the “blah” on each line.

Now make a rectangular selection of the date ranges, i.e. holding the Option key down while you are dragging a rectangle over the date ranges:

Rectangular selection in Word 2004

(For once, never mind the ugly white smears around the selected characters, which are yet another example of Microsoft’s sloppy work. These smears do not exist with a normal selection, only with a rectangular selection. Obviously Microsoft thinks that a little ugliness doesn’t hurt.)

Once this selection is made, bring up the “Find/Replace” dialog box. In “Find what:“, type a dash. In “Replace with:“, type an en dash.

Then click on “Replace All“.

Bam! Application freeze. Every time.

Some days I positively hate Microsoft.


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