Keyboard shortcuts reassign themselves

Re: "...doesn't Word already, out of the box, use Command-F?"

Prior to Office 2011, yes. My understanding is that Microsoft was 'persuaded' to concede that keystroke in order to comply with Apple's User Interface Guide which assigns Command+F to the OS X Find [aka, Search in Document] command. As I wrote, Apple has been confiscating keyboard combinations since the introduction of OS X 10.7 (Lion). Along with that, the Word feature formerly know as Find was re-dubbed Advanced Find & Replace [EditAdvancedFind] but no built-in keystroke was created for it.

I believe Command+F can be reassigned to EditAdvancedFind in 10.6.x but I'm not sure about later versions of OS X.

Another way to look at it is that Command+F still executes the Find command but the feature it calls is Apple's contrivance, not Word's long-standing traditional assignment.

Bob, intriguing!  Most of the time it works fine in Word-- command-F brings up Word's Advanced Find dialog box, just as I've set it for.  It's just that sometimes when it starts the search, it then crashes.  

So, given it brings up the dialog box, that would mean that Command-F registers properly and I'm not sure I can blame it on Apple!  If it is an issue, then Word should block it as a possible keystroke assignment…  H'm, as another data point, doesn't Word already, out of the box, use Command-F?

Experimentalist that I am, though, I may try the different keyboard combo.  Doubtful I'll stick with that, however, as Command-F has always been Find!  It's wired in my DNA!  Maybe a work around with iKey macro program could solve it!   (Or, something with Virtual Basic.)

Madeline, appreciate the observation.  IIRC (and I may not! :-), it happens for me with .docx files, too!  (They make up most of what I use.)  Still, I'll keep my eyes peeled-- perhaps it's been happening with those .docx files whose extension is hidden...

I also wonder if the searching problem is somehow related to the Dictation biz, too, as they are in the same menu.  Seems unlikely, though, as the problem is with the searching itself, not calling forth the dialog box!

Rob, your thread is fascinating!  Appreciate your clear presentation and analysis of the steps that reproduce the problem.  I should copy your example and see if I can produce the searching crashes.

I had created a similar thread regarding the graying out of some of the Edit menu's items and the re-arrangement of the Edit menu's items (e.g. the Start Dictation menu item).  Perhaps others might find the repeat steps to create the issue of some use:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macoffice2011-macword/grayed-out-copy-menu-item-from-the-word-2011-edit/dad44c7d-8907-41e4-a954-ca5afce6b72d?™=1405015360550

Do you mean that you've customized the EditFindDialog command by assigning the Command+F keystroke to it? If you do, you can thank Apple for that one... Command+F is one of many that has been commandeered with each new iteration of OS X. It's globally assigned for their 'Search in Document' service.

Assign a different stroke, such as Ctrl+Option+F.

I'm more concerned about the crash bug when one invokes the Advanced Find/Replace command via Command-f.   All too often Words crashes and, if I haven't saved just before searching, I will lose text.

That one I resolved by finally switching to .docx files!