Microsoft KB Archive/117210

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Find File Command Fails to Find Files When Using Wildcards

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Q117210

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a

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SYMPTOMS
The Find File command (located on the File menu) may fail to find files when performing searches that includes wildcard characters such as the asterisk or question mark.

 If you search for      Word does not find files that -     -

*.*                   Have no extension

*.D*                  End with the single character D

*.D0*                 End with DO

*.???                 Have fewer than three characters in the extension

*.??                  Have fewer than two characters in the extension

.?                    Have no extension

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word versions 6.0 and 6.0a for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUNDS
Method 1: When searching for files with no extensions, use a single asterisk in the File Name box and do not include the period which normally separates the filename and the extension. The drawback to this method is that it will list all files in the search path.

Method 2: When searching for files containing a two-letter extension, use the question mark (?) wildcard character. For example, to search for all files with a two-character extension, type "*.??" (without the quotation marks) in the File Name box. If you search for files with a single character extension, use "*.?" to find your files.

MORE INFORMATION
This functionality also works incorrectly in Microsoft Excel 5.0 and PowerPoint 4.0. Using the wildcard characters in the File Open dialog box in each of these applications works correctly. This feature works correctly in Word versions 2.x.