Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Removing Specific Fields.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 18, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
If you use fields in your documents, you may need a way to delete a specific type of field, while leaving all the other types of fields untouched. You can use the ^d special character in the Find What box when doing a Find and Replace, but the ^d is non-discriminating: It finds all fields.
There are two ways you can approach this problem. First, when using ^d, you can follow it by the field code you want to search. Thus, if you search for ^d XE you can find all the XE fields in the document, ignoring the rest.
The second way is to search using the ^19 character. This is the code for an opening field brace. Follow it by the field you want to select, as in ^19 DATE, and only those fields are found.
Regardless of whether you use ^d or ^19, you should pay attention to what immediately follows. Word is very forgiving of the number of spaces that can follow an opening field brace. It is possible for there to be no spaces after an opening brace or two, three, or more spaces. For this reason, you will want to search for both ^dXE (no spaces) and ^d^wXE (multiple spaces, with the ^w representing white space). The same goes for the second method: you can search for ^19DATE and ^19^wDATE.
When searching for specific fields, you need to make sure that the field codes are displayed in the document. If you don't display them, then Word will ignore the codes. You can display them all by pressing Alt+F9. In addition, you should make sure that hidden text is displayed.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3825) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Removing Specific Fields.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
You can use the Advance field to change where text is positioned in your document. This tip shows how to use it and the ...
Discover MoreNeed to know how many times your document has been saved? Word keeps track of this information, and makes it easily ...
Discover MoreThird-party programs can be used to affect a document and change what is contained therein. Of course, getting rid of ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments