Using the Split Window feature
in Word (97 - 2007)

Using the Find and Replace function in Word is useful when cleaning up documents, replacing acronyms or misspelt text.  One of the frustrating features is that when an item is found that matches the criteria it is obscured by the box or it jumps its way back to the centre after you click on Find Next.  You have to keep pulling the box out of the way, a frustrating and time consuming procedure. If you have a large monitor (19 inch or bigger) this jumping around may not happen, but most of us use 15 or 17 inch display units.

Using the Split Window

This feature in Word that enables you to divide the working screen into two sections so that you can work with two parts of the same document simultaneously.

  1. From the Windows menu select Split.
     (2007 - Select the View tab and click on the Split button.)
    The cursor becomes a horizontal line with an up-arrow down-arrow icon attached to it.
     

  2. Select where you wish to split the window and click the mouse.

    This splits your screen into two windows - or panes.

Note: You can move the "Split line" at any time with the mouse and resize the panes.

To turn off the Split function, from the Windows menu select Remove Split (2007 -Select the View tab and click on the Remove Split button)
OR
Double click on the split line.

  1. Click into the pane where you want the Find and Replace dialog box to be held.

    Clicking into the top pane to make it the active pane locks the box into the top or bottom pane.
     

  2. From the Edit  menu select Find or Replace.

    The Find and Replace dialog box sits inside it and is confined to it.
     

  3. Enter your search criterion into the Find what: area of the box.

  4. Click into the document text in the other pane.

    This makes the other pane the active pane.
     

  5. Click in the Find Next button or Replace button.

    Instances of the search text are located and highlighted in the second pane.
     

  6. Click on the Find Next button or Replace button.

    The dialog box won't move outside its pane and text that matches the search criterion are displayed in the bottom pane.

One of the main advantages is that you do not have to look around the screen to find your highlighted text. This increases your working speed and lowers your frustration of moving the Find and Replace dialog box around the screen.

Using the Zoom feature in Split Windows

Another advantage is that you can magnify the bottom pane. You can set the text size to any magnification you want in the lower pane and each search result will still be viewed, even if the document text runs off the right side of the screen. 

Setting the bottom pane to page width is a good option.

 

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