Find and Replace doesn't work

Question

For a few weeks, neither my Find and Replace button nor the CTRL+F command triggers any action in PowerPoint. It works just fine in Excel and Word.

When I click the button (or use the command) nothing happens - literally nothing. It's as it has been disabled.

How can I fix this?

Answer 1

Hi André,

Thank you for the response.

I'm really glad to hear that Ctrl + H is working for you! Hopefully, the other fixes will help get PowerPoint back to work normally again. I understand how frustrating it can be when things don’t work the way they should, especially when you’ve got custom setups and add-ins in your PowerPoint.

Best regards,    

Jess - MSFT | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 2

Hello Jess!

Version: 2505

Does CTRL+F work in Online version: Yes

Using CTRL+H works for me in the desktop app, thanks for that. I will also try to follow you other steps and see if that helps. I've made quite some customisation of the ribbon, and also have add-ins that are important for my work installed that might interfere.

Best regards,

Answer 3

Hi André,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the replies provided? Any update would be appreciated.

Best regards,    

Jess - MSFT | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 4

Dear André

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community. We are happy to assist you.

Regarding your issue, may I kindly ask what is your current version of PowerPoint? Does this issue also happen on PowerPoint online? Additionally, does this also happen if you use on another device? This can help me understand your issue better.

Also, here are a few steps you can try: 

1. Use CTRL+H as a Workaround 
   Try pressing CTRL+H to open the Replace dialog. Sometimes the Find dialog won’t open but Replace will. You can then switch to the Find tab inside that window.
2. Reset Ribbon and Toolbar Customizations 
   If you’ve customized your PowerPoint ribbon or Quick Access Toolbar, try resetting them to default: 
   • Right-click the ribbon > Customize the Ribbon > click Reset > Reset all customizations.
3. Disable Add-ins 
   Sometimes add-ins interfere with PowerPoint’s features, you can disable all add-ins via File > Options > Add-ins, then restart PowerPoint and check if Find works.
4. Repair Office

• Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
• Find Microsoft Office, right-click, and choose Change > Quick Repair
• If that doesn’t work, try Online Repair.

For details, please refer to: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support 

1. Reset PowerPoint Preferences

Sometimes corrupted user settings can cause issues: 

• Close PowerPoint
• Navigate to %appdata%\Microsoft\PowerPoint in File Explorer
• Rename the folder (e.g., to PowerPoint_backup)
• Restart PowerPoint (this will reset preferences)

Please give it a try and update for me to see if it works!

Best regards,    

Jess - MSFT | Microsoft Community Moderator