Excel should let user change Find default to 'By Columns'.

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baobob@my-deja.com - 21 Jan 2008 16:46 GMT

But it doesn't.

At least, Excel 2002 doesn't.

(For those involved in the numerous posts on this issue, what I mean
by "change the default" is change it permanently, so that it survives
into the next Excel session.)

If Microsoft is reading this, I wish you guyz would implement this
capability, say in Tools / Options. Or at least give us a Registry
tweak.

It is a fundamental mis-implementation of Excel not to permit this.

You are treating Excel as if it were a word processor.

Only in a word processor would searches most often be line-by-line.

It stands to reason that because spreadsheet software has columns,
users need to SEARCH by columns. How is it that software company no. 1
hasn't grasped that?

So what do we have to do now? Create some stupid startup macro kludge
that executes a search, just to set the paradigm for the rest of the
session. Not acceptable.

The analogy is having to have pilot lights running on your stove for
the purpose of turning on a flame to BEGIN with.

I've searched the Registry for some setting, but offhand can't find
any. So if there is one, I apologize & retract, and I'd sure like to
know about it.

Or, if you have in fact added this capability after Excel 2002, I
wholeheartedly retract as well.

Kirk out.

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Bob Flanagan - 21 Jan 2008 19:02 GMT

Put the following in your personal.xls workbook. It will run each time you
open Excel and set the search default to columns. You can customize as
needed.

Sub auto_open()
ChangeFindSettings
End Sub

Sub ChangeFindSettings()
Dim anyR As Range
Set anyR = ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1).Range("a1:a2").Find( _
What:="", _
LookIn:=xlFormulas, _
LookAt:=xlPart, _
SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, _
SearchDirection:=xlNext, _
MatchCase:=False, _
SearchFormat:=False)
End Sub

Bob Flanagan
Macro Systems
http://www.add-ins.com
Productivity add-ins and downloadable books on VB macros for Excel

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Tyro - 21 Jan 2008 20:50 GMT

If you have a range of A1:C100, i.e. 300 cells. What difference does it make
if you search by rows or columns? You still have to search 300 cells.

Tyro

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