Word 2013 - Keep “Search Documents” from resetting legacy Open dialog to Documents folder

[pschroeter]

Keep “Search Documents” from resetting legacy Open dialog to Documents folder
Every time I use the Search Documents feature in upper right corner of the legacy Open dialog (I hate Backstage) it resets the default file location to the Documents folder which is one folder up, which I see the next time I open the dialog. I have the default Word file save location set to a folder titled Microsoft Word inside the Documents folder. The first time I use Search, it starts in the correct folder, but the next time I open the Open dialog it’s changed to the Documents folder. Can I do anything about this?

I am pretty sure it's the Windows search baked into the Word Open dialog that’s overriding Word and I want it to stop. It means the next time I search for Word documents from Word it shows a long list of other file types and I have to reset the search location to my Microsoft Word documents folder.

I really, really miss the old dedicated Word XP (2002) Find File and really hate Advanced Query Syntax. I know xplorer² can do an excellent job finding Word files, especially complex searches, but I’m always dealing with which search requires the least number of clicks and typing to find what I want.

Today was my birthday and every year on my birthday I watch the scifi movie Kronos because it’s a childhood favorite of mine and makes me feel 10 years old again. It’s also the source of my robot avatar.

[nikos]

happy birthday!
sorry I don't have anything of a solution for a birthday present. I saw this post in the old forum too

fwiw I recently started using Deskrule for file search exclusively, and it is much more "less clicks" compared to xplorer2. Another option is to copy paths from xplorer2 and enter them in the system open/save dialogs. Not sure how office 2013 does search though, I am using office 2010 and never search with it anyway

[johngalt]

One thing you could do is to follow this article: https://support.office.com/en-gb/articl ... 8c60dd5d3b

It's supposed to work. I just tried it, and after changing the folder using this method, when I created a new doc, and tried to save, it defaulted to the folder that I chose.

When I tried to open a document, and clicked on This PC, it also defaulted to start looking in the folder that I had set.

HTH

Oh, and happy (belated) Birthday! Mine is in just a few hours (my time).

[pschroeter]

One thing you could do is to follow this article: https://support.office.com/en-gb/articl ... 8c60dd5d3b

Sorry it took me so long to reply. This doesn't effect the Search feature, only save and open. I'm convince the file search in the legacy Open dialog is some Windows File Explorer bit grafted onto it. It drives me nuts because the next time I use search, it I don't reset it, it looks for my search string in every file type in Documents.

[johngalt]

I misunderstood then. I thought that the search you were using was from within the Office applications, when looking to open previously saved documents.

[pschroeter]

I misunderstood then. I thought that the search you were using was from within the Office applications, when looking to open previously saved documents.

Thank you. Not to beat a dead horse, I am looking for documents from inside Word 2013. I don't use that awful Backstage tab Word wants us to use that requires more clicking and instead have set a Word option to "Don't use the backstage when opening and saving documents." This forces Word to open a more traditional dialog box that is called a legacy dialog.

[johngalt]

I know what backstage view is, and I actually like it as I can get to a lot more information than a standard File menu gave me - things like options, the ability to check the build I'm on, updates, and a whole slew of info.

In 3 clicks from an open doc, and 2 clicks from opening Word without a doc open, I still get that Windows Explorer dialog to find my docs.

To each his / her own, I suppose.

[pschroeter]

happy birthday!
sorry I don't have anything of a solution for a birthday present. I saw this post in the old forum too

The solution was so simple I feel like a dolt for not thinking of it YEARS ago. I just wrote (well, asked someone) to write a macro that showed the Open dialog in the right folder.

Code: Select all

Sub WordFileOpen()
    Dim dlg As Word.Dialog
    Dim sPath As String
    Set dlg = Application.Dialogs(wdDialogFileOpen)
    sPath = "C:\Users\Paul Schroeter\Documents\Microsoft Word Documents"
    With dlg
        .Name = sPath
        .Show
    End With
End Sub

I was too fixated on the “Set default file save location:” Word setting not working like I expected.
My next project will be getting the Word ribbon to show custom icons, something I could do easily for about 20 years with "Edit Button."

[pschroeter]

Also the next day I discovered a shortcut with,

"C:\Program Files\zabkat\xplorer2\xplorer2_64.exe" /F:1 /L:"C:\Users\Paul Schroeter\Documents\Microsoft Word Documents"

which opens a scrap pane and search set to my Word documents folder is an excellent replacement for the Word Find File that disappeared after I upgraded to Word 2013 six years ago.

In two days I magically solved most of my major complaints about Word 2013. And it only took six years.

Next I have to figure out how use custom icons in the Ribbon and edit the right-click menu. Apparently it can be done, they just don't make it easy.

[nikos]

the ribbon cannot be customized, sorry, just the quick access bar (window titlebar)

[pschroeter]

https://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/ri ... icons.html
According to this article it can be done with a custom RibbonXML, but there is no way I will ever figure out how to do it . A few years ago I figured out how to add some commands to the text right-click menu with some template, but I did it once and have no idea how to do it again, and I am terrified that if I tried, I'd mess up what I've already accomplished.

It's been my firm belief that someone could make a little money or at least earn the thanks of a nation, by creating a tool that allows you to modify the Ribbon and right-click menus.