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Find and Replace Words in PowerPoint 2010

Author: Geetesh Bajaj

Product/Version: PowerPoint 2010
OS: Windows 7 / Vista / XP

Date Created: January 12th 2012
Last Updated: January 12th 2012

Excerpt/Capsule: Learn how to find and replace words in PowerPoint 2010.

If you created a long presentation for a particular event or concept and then realize that you used the wrong terminology across the presentation, then what would you do? Yes, you can manually find the problem word and replace its each occurrence. But what if you have more than a few slides? Or even then, you might miss out locating the problem word in some occurrences. Your best choice is to do this replacing using PowerPoint's Find and Replace option:

1. Open the presentation in which you have to find and replace a specific word. Access the Home tab on the Ribbon (highlighted in red in Figure 1).
   
   
   Figure 1: Presentation opened within PowerPoint 2010
   
   
2. Within the Home tab, locate Editing group and click the downward arrow of the Replace button to bring up a drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 2. Click the Replace option in this drop-down menu.
   
   
   Figure 2: Replace button drop-down menu
   
   
3. This summons the Replace dialog box, as shown in Figure 3.
   
   
   Figure 3: Replace dialog box
   
   
4. Now type the word you want to find within the Find what text box (highlighted in red in Figure 4) and type the replacement word within the Replace with text box (highlighted in blue in Figure 4).
   
   
   Figure 4: Words typed within Replace dialog box
   
   
5. Within the Replace dialog box, you can select the check-boxes explained below to narrow the search:
   
   
   • Match case: This will match the letter case in the Replace process -- for example, in this case it will locate two, but not Two or TWO.
   • Find whole words only: This will locate only whole words and not word stems -- for example, in this case it will locate two, but not two-faced or two-piece.
     
     
6. Now click the Find Next button (highlighted in green in Figure 4 above) to find the next occurrence of the word.
   
   
7. Once the word which has to be replaced is found you can do one of the following:
   
   
   • Replace: Click this button to replace a single instance of the found word. You can click the Find Next button to locate another instance.
   • Replace All: Click this button to replace all instances of the found word in the open presentation, all at once.
     
     
8. Once done, click the Close button.
   
   
9. Save your presentation.