mouse won't select text in word on mac

I exchanged my mouse for a new one and still, hit or miss highlighting. My trackpad on my laptop worked to highlight just fine and so did a new mouse! I can for a little while, then I can't, so, I close and restart the applications again and all is well. Seems I do not have this issue with any of my other apps: Adobe Creative Suite 5 (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc.). No idea if that would fix it either. Quadruple-tap does the same as a double, only it . Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Trouble selecting cells or objects with mouse How to select text with touchpad without pressing the "hard" key? Think about the times when youve highlighted text. I am using `Office 2010` (`Professional 14.0.6112.5000 32-bit` on `Windows 7 Pro SP1`).I have uninstalled and re-installed `Office`. It can be annoying. If it is a wired mouse, you may have a bad wire and should try to see if a new mouse will fix the issue. I have had this problem before and realized my mouse needed new batteries. Solved: Mouse Won't Select Text in Outlook 2007 My browser text does not have issues either (Safari and/or Firefox). Since we launched in 2006, our articles have been read billions of times. How a top-ranked engineering school reimagined CS curriculum (Ep. The best part is this isnt an exclusive trick for any specific platform. A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. If You Know These Keyboard Shortcuts, You Won't Need a Mouse WFred 123, User profile for user: In the meantime, if you are still not able to select text with a mouse or the mouse pad: (1) Use the arrow keys on your keyboard in order to move your curser where you want to highlight text, ask a new question. Additionally, you mentioned your Mac OS version is 12.0.1, it's a bit old version. 1-800-MY-APPLE, or, Sales and Start moving files on your Mac again with these 15 quick fixes. To work around this problem, use the mouse to select non-contiguous areas of your Word document. Right click in the message body. If it is a wired mouse, you may have a bad wire and should try to see if a new mouse will fix the issue. You must log in or register to reply here. To do so, follow the steps below: Press Windows key + R. Type devmgmt.msc. Change your Macs left-click settings. While holding CTRL, select the next text that you want. Press the calc key and open the calculator twice, Play/Pause key press twice also so doesn't work, Zoom key in Microsoft Keyboard doesn't work. Nov 21, 2014 11:07 PM in response to maximillion82. The same problem is not when I use the trackpad or other mice and I dont have a problem using the Magic Mouse and Excel or Powerpoint. What is Wario dropping at the end of Super Mario Land 2 and why? Find out more about the Microsoft MVP Award Program. For some reason, double clicking the trackpad button or with one finger on the trackpad itself (tap-tap, essentially), does not do what it used to. Now hold Shift + Ctrl and press the Left or Right arrow keys. And what happens when you highlight browser text? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Posted on Oct 28, 2012 1:33 PM. only. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. This happens reliably if I have 'freeze panes' activated (e.g. Hello @ScottSmith have you tried with the last Synergy version? Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. I also just experimented with Pages which does not have this issue either. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The cause was unknown until today when I narrowed it down to the Ctrl key. First, lets look at the way most people typically select text on their Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or Linux PC. It only occurs in MS word. Well if the problem is recent I always like to resort to System Restore to undo any recent changes. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as Managing Editor at XDA-Developers. Dont worry, weve got you covered too. After uninstalling Synergy, this immediately began working again for me. Can't select text with mouse in Word or Outlook? answered 07/28/21, Librarian with 8+ years of technology instruction experience. Why xargs does not process the last argument? seventy one, User profile for user: Are you trying to highlight full words or only parts of words? Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Same for the URL bar. Its pretty annoying. Don't worry, we've got you covered too. Magic mouse not highlighting. Why Is My Click and Drag Not Working Mac? This guide will walk you through a series of solutions to fix your Macs cursor problems, whether youre experiencing them when using your trackpad or mouse. The excel file is very large with lots of data and macros. This seems to go on until randomly I'm able to highlight and select text again. You're Selecting Text With Your Mouse Wrong - How-To Geek Il you use a wireless mouse with a USB dongle, make sure to disconnect it or to switch off your mouse before trying another mouse. (4) to paste text that you copied, press, CTRL + V. Get a free answer to a quick problem. I have the version 1.5.1 and everything works. Go to System Preferences > Accessibility Choose Mouse & Trackpad from the left options list Click Trackpad Options Tick "Enable dragging" and select "three finger drag" from the drop-down menu next to it For macOS 10.15 "Catalina" and later: Go to System Preferences > Accessibility Choose Pointer Control There are no sticky keys. A Macs drag and drop function not working can be due to incorrect settings or an out-of-date operating system, software, or firmware. Changed mouse and the problem disappears. Luis A. We select and review products independently. Click on the 'pboard' process and then click the (X) in the Activity Monitor tool bar, then click on "Force Quit" button. Restarting your computer can fix a variety of problems. Feb 12, 2015 4:44 AM in response to Joel Lexchin. Please help!!! Apr 19, 2013 9:45 AM in response to Joel Lexchin. @BAR What about SHIFT+up/down to highlight multiple lines. This works fine, but theres one problemand youve probably noticed it. Try a different trackpad finger combination. macOS 11.5, I'm presuming you have a Magic Mouse (wireless), Nov 3, 2021 1:08 PM in response to Grahamhinitt, When I left Click it will not highlight when I hold and drag the cursor. Selecting text in any other program works perfectly. Find the driver of your mouse. Instead of a single click and drag, try doing a double-click, but keep holding the mouse button down and drag on the second click. Triple-tap a word to select the sentence containing that word. I have intermittent trouble highlighting text in Microsoft Word 14.2 using the Magic Mouse. What Is a PEM File and How Do You Use It? 10:29 PM. If youre using a multi-button mouse, you may need to adjust its settings to get it to drag and drop properly on your Mac. This kind of goes away if you press the Win key once. Is your mouse wireless? Mouse selection has become buggy. Try one of our lessons. I have a Magic Mouse, and it was never an issue with my older iMac which had the older mouse connected via USB. No packages or subscriptions, pay only for the time you need. Are you having the same problem with ALL text. What does "up to" mean in "is first up to launch"? This is due to some add-on, at least for me. any proposed solutions on the community forums. I have Text Selection tool selected and am not able to select or highlight text. Mar 14, 2014 1:04 AM in response to Joel Lexchin. Change your right-click settings on your Mac. Shavingream, User profile for user: [Re-Titled by Moderator], call Some people find drag and drop easier with this setting disabled. You can adjust the left-click settings for both your Macs trackpad and your mouse to make it easier to drag and drop content. I've noticed this for a while. It looks like a problem with your mouse. Restart your Mac. Sharing best practices for building any app with .NET. Change or charge your mouses battery. It is a more global problem as I cannot select the intended paragraph of text on a webpage using Chrome. This method makes a lot more sense for most situations. 35,000 worksheets, games, and lesson plans, Marketplace for millions of educator-created resources, Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and learning, Diccionario ingls-espaol, traductor y sitio de aprendizaje. A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. First thing to do is get off the horribly buggy 12.0.1. I thought I may have been sliding the mouse at an angle or something wrong with Word but with each update (OSX or Office) the trouble remains. A forum community dedicated to tech experts and enthusiasts. Now my mouse is highlighting every word, only on red. How to Use Cron With Your Docker Containers, How to Use Docker to Containerize PHP and Apache, How to Pass Environment Variables to Docker Containers, How to Check If Your Server Is Vulnerable to the log4j Java Exploit (Log4Shell), How to Use State in Functional React Components, How to Restart Kubernetes Pods With Kubectl, How to Find Your Apache Configuration Folder, How to Assign a Static IP to a Docker Container, How to Get Started With Portainer, a Web UI for Docker, How to Configure Cache-Control Headers in NGINX, How to Set Variables In Your GitLab CI Pipelines, How to Use an NVIDIA GPU with Docker Containers, How Does Git Reset Actually Work? Which can interfere and can be a pain. I can't copy/cut and paste because the text will not highlight, All of a sudden, I can no longer copy/cut and paste because the text will not highlight. The only way I can highlight a word is to double click on it or click on the beginning of a text string then hold down the shift key while I click on the end of the text string. Once the scroll position of the content/page becomes disconnected from the scroll bar position the only way to 're-sync' it is to scroll the page using the scroll bar. A firm, non-reflective surface usually works best for mouse gestures. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Using the USB mouse, in System Preferences click on Mouse and then Set Up Bluetooth Mouse Once the Magic Mouse has paired with your Mac see if if you can select text If you still can't select text try restarting your Mac in Safe Mode to see if you can highlight text and if you can highlight restart as normal and check again Reply Helpful of 1 It may take a while to complete the diagnostic tests so be patient. Instead of re-installing Office, you can use the Office diagnostic tools which may repair the problem. The programs are also very unstable and drain the battery of my 2014 15" Retina MacBook Pro. Try searching for a tutor. The Option key on a Mac keyboard Hold down the Option key on your keyboard, then click and hold to start making your selection. - edited In Edge it appeared to be related to the zoom level; if I reset my zoom level I could use the scroll bar otherwise the 'hit box' for the scroll bar and the visual position of the scroll bar were different. This also means that I can't drag anything like text that I have selected with the keyboard or table widths or tabs in the ruler barThe cause was unknown until today when I narrowed it down to the `Ctrl` key.That is, as soon as I use the `Ctrl` key (for copy, paste, undo or even by itself for the purpose of this test), my ability to select and drag is gone.There are no sticky keys. Refunds. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You position the cursor at the beginning of the text, hold the mouse button down, drag the cursor to the end, then release the button. Refresh the Macs mouse and trackpad files. Here are all of the best ways to get drag and drop working correctly on your Mac. I have updated to the latest version of Word. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, Best practices and the latest news on Microsoft FastTrack, The employee experience platform to help people thrive at work, Expand your Azure partner-to-partner network, Bringing IT Pros together through In-Person & Virtual events. Then use your mouse or trackpad to select and drag the files to a new location. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes And shift+left/right to highlight left and right? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Can't select text with mouse in Word or Outlook, Synergy prevents click and drag actions in some windows applications. crbald1 1 yr. ago If you want to change trackpad dragging behavior by turning drag lock on or off, visit System Preferences > Accessibility > Pointer Control > Mouse & Trackpad > Trackpad Options. What was the actual cockpit layout and crew of the Mi-24A? Back up your Mac and then select Finder > Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library, select Go, and then delete the following six files. User profile for user: I have Win10 and Office10 installed. Occasionally, if I resave the file, it will let . A flat battery can affect how well a mouse works with a Mac. I am running Word on Mac OS Monterey v12.0.1. Yes - that's true. Choose the account you want to sign in with. Why is this method wrong? Jun 15, 2013 10:37 PM in response to Joel Lexchin. 565), Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Can't use mouse to place an insertion point or drag-select text in Word; cursor moves as commanded by mouse, Synergy prevents click and drag actions in some Windows applications, Double click selecting word in Word / Outlook, Can't select text with mouse in Word / Office 2007, MSWord 2010 shortcut key for TOGGLING styles, When I reduce header size in Word all hell breaks loose, How to fully undo an Insert Page Numbers operation in Word, Microsoft 365 E5 security add-on can't remove autofill email addresses in Outlook 2016. You are using an out of date browser. You might not have the cursor in the exact right spot to start or you miss the last letter. Not everyone prefers to use a mouse for text selection. Adjust the cursor and click speed. Im willing to bet that, most of the time, youre aiming for full words. I have the latest updates for Word and double-clicking to highlight text does not work for me (it does work in all other programs). When you do this, the text becomes unselected when you hold CTRL and press the arrow keys to move the insertion point to continue selecting text in a different area of your Word document. Take Screenshot by Tapping Back of iPhone, Pair Two Sets of AirPods With the Same iPhone, Download Files Using Safari on Your iPhone, Turn Your Computer Into a DLNA Media Server, Add a Website to Your Phone's Home Screen, Control All Your Smart Home Devices in One App. Followed the instruction in the link and my issue is resolved. I cannot select text with my mouse in Word and Outlook. The Word Help topic "Select text by using the keyboard" incorrectly states the following: Select text by holding down SHIFT and pressing the key that moves the insertion point. Double-tap a word to select the whole word/. In a nutshell - my mouse will not select text . To work around this problem, use the mouse to select non-contiguous areas of your Word document. Soft, Hard, and Mixed Resets Explained, Steam's Desktop Client Just Got a Big Update, The Kubuntu Focus Ir14 Has Lots of Storage, This ASUS Tiny PC is Great for Your Office, Windows 10 Won't Get Any More Major Updates, Razer's New Headset Has a High-Quality Mic, NZXT Capsule Mini and Mini Boom Arm Review, Audeze Filter Bluetooth Speakerphone Review, Reebok Floatride Energy 5 Review: Daily running shoes big on stability, Kizik Roamer Review: My New Go-To Sneakers, LEGO Star Wars UCS X-Wing Starfighter (75355) Review: You'll Want This Starship, Mophie Powerstation Pro AC Review: An AC Outlet Powerhouse, Youre Selecting Text With Your Mouse Wrong, The Fastest Ways to Select Text on Your Computer. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. 1 chronopunk 1 yr. ago I don't think that's it. You dont have to worry about dragging to the exact right spot. For some reason, double clicking the trackpad button or with one finger on the trackpad itself (tap-tap, essentially), does not do what it used to. I have that setting enabled and can click and drag to select text. This functionality is on by default because it is a standard function of mouse and trackpad usage, so you shouldnt need to enable it. Looking for job perks? Click Driver > Update Driver. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as Managing Editor at. What does "up to" mean in "is first up to launch"? How to Enable (or Disable) and Use Touch Mode in Word Step 2: Double-click on Activity. If I drag the cursor to the URL bar and double click, the entire thing won't be highlighted as it should and always used to do until recently. Grahamhinitt. Your Mac may need a software or firmware update to fix some bugs associated with your mouse or trackpad. Why do men's bikes have high bars where you can hit your testicles while women's bikes have the bar much lower? @Colette KillianIt's your mouse! If I do Shift+click then I can sometimes select what I want. Making educational experiences better for everyone. There should be a button.In the Word Options window click on the Resources option and then click the Diagnose button next to the 'run Microsoft Office Diagnostics' option. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. 2005 - 2023 Wyzant, Inc, a division of IXL Learning - All Rights Reserved. For some reason I am unable to select text the normal way. But I am not sure if was it which fixed the problem. RELATED: How to Change Mouse Pointer Size and Style in Windows 11. EricJTx, User profile for user: Enabling touch mode requires only a few steps. Another option is to use the Command+A keyboard combination to select all files in a folder. Now you know! provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/3/913B0797-F3A4-4135-9CF8-E6FD548E3CD8/MicrosoftFixit50123.msi. Drag-select of words in Microsoft Word was inconsistently not working - the word would highlight, then on releasing the mouse button, the highlight was lost about 50% of the time - highly irritating. Jan 07 2018 Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? But is very annoying. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. As for why/how this fixed the issue or the root cause - I haven't got a clue. Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. You may have never even considered there was another way to highlight text. Theres actually a much better way of doing this, and youll never go back. That is, as soon as I use the Ctrl key (for copy, paste, undo or even by itself for the purpose of this test), my ability to select and drag is gone. RELATED: Why Is a Computer Mouse Called a Mouse? I have the same issue with my Magic Mouse and Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. rayito11, call I can't say for Word (as MS products always seem to want to do their own thing) but in most Mac apps, double clicking will highlight the word. Disable Force Click and haptic feedback. While holding CTRL, select the next text that you want. Mar 14, 2014 1:56 PM in response to anandaguy. captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of Select all text with similar formatting in Word 2011 for Mac? Please advise, Nov 3, 2021 1:59 PM in response to Grahamhinitt, User profile for user: Fortunately for me it was as simple as zooming out that fixed this. You can change back if not helpful. What differentiates living as mere roommates from living in a marriage-like relationship? Clean your Macs trackpad and mouse. Let me explain . Solved: Mouse won't select text - please help! - Tech Support Guy The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. I swapped out for a BlackWeb wireless mouse (either USB wireless or Bluetooth) and the problem is gone! Just yesterday I updated MacOS to 12.5 on my MacBook Pro M1 Pro and now I can select text just fine. Whenever I want to select text with the mouse (left button, slide the mouse) it won't highlight the text. It only takes a minute to sign up. I find sometimes that it is the magnification settings (bottom right corner of Excel, PowerPoint, etc). r/mac on Reddit: Word on MacBook won't allow me to select text, but I just had the same issue and discovered my mouse sensor was not working properly. I have a completely new computer and mouse and the selecting cell or word process has become frustrating. Was shocked to discover that it immediately worked again after right clicking in the message body. ask a new question. On whose turn does the fright from a terror dive end? any proposed solutions on the community forums. Learn how the long-coming and inevitable shift to electric impacts you. Update your Mac's software. For ex: your NUM LOCK key or your Caps key. When done, restart your Mac. All Rights Reserved. In the Search box of Activity Monitor, type "pboard". Click on Settings to adjust the duration for which you should hold. Then randomly it turns back off. So lets make that easier. Does the 500-table limit still apply to the latest version of Cassandra? The text is selected but does not show a highlighted colour. Select Apple > System Preferences > Trackpad and uncheck the box next to Force Click and haptic feedback. Dec 15, 2016 6:31 AM in response to EricJTx. Turn off Select entire word when selecting text. Once the focus has been moved . Once connected, Universal Control can be used to seamlessly move a single mouse cursor from one screen to the other and even drag and drop files between connected devices. Open a Mac app again where copy and paste was not working as expected, and try using the copy and paste commands again and it should . Enable three-finger drag. It only takes a minute to sign up. Refresh the Mac's mouse and trackpad files. Exit Activity Monitor. To start the conversation again, simply There are keyboard shortcuts for selecting text both by letter and by word. Has the Melford Hall manuscript poem "Whoso terms love a fire" been attributed to any poetDonne, Roe, or other? I found this question when my user was having this same problem - only in Outlook, they could not select text or move the mouse in any new message after using the CTRL key once while writing one (although the mouse worked for moving between fields in the new message, like From, to, Subject, and in all other applications). I have tried several registry edits offered by my findings with no luck. The complete guide to selecting text on your Mac - Digital Citizen macos - Unable to select text in Word - Super User To drag and drop on a Mac, click on an item and drag your finger on the trackpad, or move your mouse. This issue was never present until I purchased a new iMac with OS X Mavericks. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Highlight on Buttons tab and enable ClickLock feature. Release your finger to place the file in its new location. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Oddly, works better highlighting backwards rather than forwards. Im running OS 10.8.2 on a MacBook Pro (retina display). Punctuation marks are highlighted independently from the words. In excel I get the issue of selecting a cell and it selects a different cell - this is seems to be where the scroll position of the content on the screen becomes disconnected from the scroll position of the scroll bar. Windows 11 Has More Widgets Improvements on the Way, Intel CPUs Might Give up the i After 14 Years, 10 Inexpensive Ways to Breathe New Life Into an Old PC, 2023 LifeSavvy Media. 10:28 PM In excel, I can no longer reliably left click, hold and drag to select a specific range of cells. To select multiple areas that aren't next to each other, make your first selection, hold down CTRL, and then select any other items you want. Can anyone test? I believe the problem was either a MacOS problem, or, more likely, an incorrect interaction between Word and MacOS. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? How to Make a Black glass pass light through it? This opens a menu where you can add and remove commands to the Quick Access bar. rev2023.4.21.43403. Double clicking doesn't do what it used to (highlight text)? Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others. If total energies differ across different software, how do I decide which software to use? Embedded hyperlinks in a thesis or research paper. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? If you happen to be using Synergy (or other similar software KVM type program), I would suggest attempting to kill that application, and see if the problem persists. Some users find it easier to use a thumb to select an item and an index finger to drag and drop it. To do this, follow these steps: Use your mouse and select the first text that you want. To do this, follow these steps: Use your mouse and select the first text that you want. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Mar 13, 2014 7:51 PM in response to Joel Lexchin. I seem to only encounter the issue in MS Word. In the meantime, if you are still not able to select text with a mouse or the mouse pad: (1) Use the arrow keys on your keyboard in order to move your curser where you want to highlight text. How a top-ranked engineering school reimagined CS curriculum (Ep. Some dirt or oils may be interfering with the mouses functionality. When you do, the closed apps and windows will be automatically reopened and you might lose unsaved tasks. It's great to know what was causing the issues but I still need synergy Gee, I put up with this issue for months with no cluehow frustrating! Apples Universal Control feature is a form of drag and drop where you use a single keyboard and mouse with up to three Apple devices. Drag and drop is a feature that allows you to move files from one location to another on a Mac computer. To drag and drop on a Mac using the trackpad, click or tap to select an item > press and hold the trackpad while moving the selection > and let go of the trackpad to reposition the file or files. A link to the app was sent to your phone. Similar to the above tip, you can also change the right-click settings on your Mac to suit your style and workflow. What is SSH Agent Forwarding and How Do You Use It? Suddenly I can't highlight a block of text. It may take a while to complete the diagnostic tests so be patient.

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