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Find or replace a value in a field

When looking for or replacing values in a datasheet with a subdatasheet, or a form with a subform displayed as a datasheet, Microsoft Access only looks in the datasheet, subdatasheet, or form where you've placed the insertion point.

1. In Form or Datasheet view, select the field (column) you want to search, unless you want to search all fields. (Searching a single field is faster than searching the entire datasheet or form.)
2. Do one of the following:

   Find specific occurrences of a value in a field

   1. Click Find on the Form View or Datasheet View toolbar.
   2. In the Find What box, type the value you want to find.

      If you don't know the exact value you want to find, you can use wildcard characters in the Find What box to specify what you're looking for.

   3. Set any other options you want to use in the Find and Replace dialog box. For more information about an option, click , and then click the option.

   4. Click Find Next.

   Find blank fields or zero-length strings in an Access database

   1. Click Find on the Form View or Datasheet View toolbar.
   2. Do one of the following:
      • If blank fields are formatted to show a string (such as "Unknown"), type the formatted string in the Find What box, and make sure that the Search Fields As Formatted check box is selected.
      • To find unformatted blank fields, type Null or Is Null in the Find What box, and make sure that the Search Fields As Formatted check box is not selected.
      • To find zero-length strings in a Microsoft Access database, in the Find What box, type double quotation marks ("") with no spaces in between, and make sure that the Search Fields As Formatted check box is not selected.
   3. Set any other options you want to use in the Find and Replace dialog box. For more information about an option, click , and then click the option.
   4. To find one or more occurrences of a blank field, click Find Next.

   Replace specific occurrences of a value in a field

   1. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
   2. In the Find What box, type the value you want to find; in the Replace With box, type the value you want to replace it with.

      If you don't know the exact value you want to find, you can use wildcard characters in the Find What box to specify what you're looking for.

   3. Set any other options you want to use in the Find and Replace dialog box. For more information about an option, click , and then click the option.

   4. Do one of the following:
      • To replace all occurrences of the specified value at once, click Replace All.

      • To replace each occurrence one at a time, click Find Next, and then click Replace; to skip an occurrence and find the next one, click Find Next.