Keyboard shortcuts reassign themselves

Bob, thanks!  I'm using OX 10.8.5 and Command-F definitely can be used.

I've reassigned it to what in the menu is labeled "Advance Find and Replace".  In the Customize Keystroke dialog box, it's called 

"EditFindDialog"   (it's under Edit and under All Commands).

Plus, one exploring this further, I've discovered, Command-F is, by default, assigned to Find; that is, Edit-Find.

It opens up the left-hand sidebar--and lists all the results--which is a different implementation than what happens in TextEdit.

Of course, the real issue is why "Advance Find and Replace" intermittently crashes Word!  In other words, the keystroke works-- it brings up Word's traditional Find dialog box, but then sometimes fails when the search starts.

Sorry for going AWOL. I did misunderstand Jim's post about the find/replace command -- I was really referring to crashing when pasting stuff, rather than the F/R thing.

I do have command-f assigned to Advanced Find/Replace and it works without crashing. I thought I had set it, once upon a time, to open up in replace mode, but it doesn't -- just find, so I have to click on the replace tab, which is a little inconvenient because most times I need it it's to replace stuff. But somehow that doesn't irritate me as much as other things. :)

Madeline, thanks for chiming in again!

Like you, I've gotten mostly used to having to click on the Replace tab, although it is irritating to have to do it.  Showing both Find and Replace at the same time allows one to do either, without mousing or track padding around to hit the Replace tab.

At the same, though, I found the same thing you did-- the reassignment of keystrokes is more irritating.  

I've also found that there are times that I like the "new and improved" basic Find that shows each instance in the document.

Of course, worst of all in my situation is the intermittent crashing after invoking a Find, but I'm glad to hear that it's NOT happening to you!  It gives me hope!

Oh, and relevant to the original query… I have not had a key reassignment since I turned off Dictation in Preferences and quit Word and relaunched it.

Madeline, thanks for chiming in again!

Like you, I've gotten mostly used to having to click on the Replace tab, although it is irritating to have to do it.  Showing both Find and Replace at the same time allows one to do either, without mousing or track padding around to hit the Replace tab.  

At the same, though, I found the same thing you did-- the reassignment of keystrokes is more irritating.  

I've also found that there are times that I like the "new and improved" basic Find that shows each instance in the document.

Of course, worst of all in my situation is the intermittent crashing after invoking a Find, but I'm glad to hear that it's NOT happening to you!  It gives me hope!

Oh, and relevant to the original query… I have not had a key reassignment since I turned off Dictation in Preferences and quit Word and relaunched it.

Huh. Does that mean you'd had Dictation turned on? I have NEVER turned it on. I wonder if activating it and then deactivating it would solve that problem! I'll have to try. (Of course, I'm not sure the next time I'll be working on a file with a table in it...)

Rats!  The keystrokes just got reassigned.  So turning off Dictation does not alter all this!  (Yes, I had turned on Dictation at one point, speaking rather than typing in a series of numbers).

At least, quitting and restarting Word still works.

And, reassignment is much easier to live with than the crashes on command-f!  (Which can lose one unsaved work!)

H'm… I may set up a macro that automatically saves before starting a search (hence, command-f would issue a command-s followed by Advanced Find & Replace).

I even tried creating a main-level menu item under Edit for the Advanced Find.  No dice!   I wonder what's different about your set up that command-F (for AFR) works OK?!