And shift+left/right to highlight left and right? Its pretty annoying. The excel file is very large with lots of data and macros. Prepare to have your mind blown. Mouse and trackpad preferences can also often confuse as there are several options users can select to customize how an item is selected and moved via Macs mouse cursor. 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. Synergy is definitely causing this issue in my situation. The Option key on a Mac keyboard Hold down the Option key on your keyboard, then click and hold to start making your selection. This is what you wanted to eastablish, so now you must take up the matter with MS and seek their advice. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. It may take a while to complete the diagnostic tests so be patient. Adjust the cursor and click speed. cannot click and drag to high light text - Apple Community If total energies differ across different software, how do I decide which software to use? To select text letter by letter, place the cursor at the starting point, hold down the Shift key, then press the Left or Right arrow keys. rev2023.4.21.43403. Selecting text is a common thing to do on a computer. Now my mouse is highlighting every word, only on red. Come join the discussion about articles, computer security, Mac, Microsoft, Linux, hardware, networking, gaming, reviews, accessories, and more! 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 . Mar 14, 2014 1:04 AM in response to Joel Lexchin. Double-tap a word to select the whole word/. Can't select text with mouse in Word or Outlook? - edited 1 Answer Sorted by: 1 You can try updating MacOS I had the problem you mention, though under MacOS 12.3 and Word 16.62 Home/Student. Enable three-finger drag. 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. I haven't updated in a while, so I'll try that. Some people find drag and drop easier with this setting disabled. Jul 21, 2016 7:33 PM in response to Joel Lexchin, Go to System Preferences / General and set the select text color to something other than white/clear, which will be shown as 'other.'. rev2023.4.21.43403. It seems to be a Microsoft Word problem. To learn how, check this link. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. I do not have this problem with Word 2007. Was shocked to discover that it immediately worked again after right clicking in the message body. but only in certain situations! 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. What differentiates living as mere roommates from living in a marriage-like relationship? Has anyone else noticed a bug or issue in Preview that prevents text selection? For some reason I am unable to select text the normal way. Just click and drag your mouse to highlight the desired text. Switch USB ports. A flat battery can affect how well a mouse works with a Mac. 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. How do I stop the Flickering on Mode 13h? How about saving the world? But for me the problem was not anything with the computer or the Office apps - it was the Logitech Mouse! Now this does not work. How about saving the world? Thanks for the heads up! Can anyone test? These tips make text-selection on iPhone and iPad far - Cult of Mac All Rights Reserved. Mar 14, 2014 1:56 PM in response to anandaguy. macos - Unable to select text in Word - Super User Back up your Mac and then select Finder > Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library, select Go, and then delete the following six files. Mar 13, 2014 8:03 PM in response to anandaguy. 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. I think the fixed the problem. 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. Clicking on the favicon (the icon to the left of the URL) will highlight the whole URL in Safari. Hope this saves someone the agonizing pain of being unable to flash fill by dragging, trying to grab documents or emails while it disconnects your click, etc. What does "up to" mean in "is first up to launch"? 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 select text with mouse in Word / Office 2007. 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. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Apr 19, 2013 9:45 AM in response to Joel Lexchin. Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. 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. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. What is the Russian word for the color "teal"? This issue still persists. Turn off Select entire word when selecting text. Nov 21, 2014 11:07 PM in response to maximillion82. Click on the bar below the touchpad. This is how it's always been. You're Selecting Text With Your Mouse Wrong - How-To Geek Which was the first Sci-Fi story to predict obnoxious "robo calls"? Jan 07 2018 Change your right-click settings on your Mac. @Colette KillianIt's your mouse! Shavingream, User profile for user: Same here- just got new iMac. Most questions answered within 4 hours. Joel Lexchin, User profile for user: When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Find out more about the Microsoft MVP Award Program. This issue was never present until I purchased a new iMac with OS X Mavericks. Followed the instruction in the link and my issue is resolved. Try zooming in (or other adjustments) and see if that helps? But is very annoying. Dec 15, 2016 6:31 AM in response to EricJTx. Repeat step 2 until you select all the text that you want. But I am not sure if was it which fixed the problem. I exchanged my mouse for a new one and still, hit or miss highlighting. Why xargs does not process the last argument? I cannot select text with my mouse in Word and Outlook. This opens a menu where you can add and remove commands to the Quick Access bar. WFred 123, User profile for user: It will let you drag and drop on your Mac by tapping three fingers at once on the trackpad. Don't worry, we've got you covered too. I have a Magic Mouse, and it was never an issue with my older iMac which had the older mouse connected via USB. Refunds. Hallelujah! It's sloppy.sometimes it will start the selection a cell or two away from the desired cell, or not even allow selection at all. It only occurs in MS word. Other apps don't seem to be affected. Try a different trackpad finger combination. Well if the problem is recent I always like to resort to System Restore to undo any recent changes. answered 07/28/21, Librarian with 8+ years of technology instruction experience. Select Apple > System Preferences > Trackpad and uncheck the box next to Force Click and haptic feedback. Join 425,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. @BAR What about SHIFT+up/down to highlight multiple lines. 10:29 PM. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. To drag and drop on a Mac, click on an item and drag your finger on the trackpad, or move your mouse. I find sometimes that it is the magnification settings (bottom right corner of Excel, PowerPoint, etc). 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. This works fine, but theres one problemand youve probably noticed it. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Couldnt be simpler, right? He also rips off an arm to use as a sword, QGIS automatic fill of the attribute table by expression, Generic Doubly-Linked-Lists C implementation. I can for a little while, then I can't, so, I close and restart the applications again and all is well. Why xargs does not process the last argument? The program is extremely poorly programmed. I seem to only encounter the issue in MS Word. What Is a PEM File and How Do You Use It? 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. So it's only with MS Office apps it seems. Looking for job perks? Any Mac or iPad that matches or is newer than the models in the above list should support Universal Control drag and drop. should now. Update your Mac's software. No packages or subscriptions, pay only for the time you need. I've noticed this for a while. 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 best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? It also features a "Touch/Mouse Mode" option, which you should enable now. You can remove folder like ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word(you can press command +shift +G and enter the route to go the folder, move it to desktop, check if the issue is solved, if so, you could move it to trash, if not, restore it). By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. How to Enable (or Disable) and Use Touch Mode in Word I have had this problem before and realized my mouse needed new batteries. Looking for job perks? Any help would be greatly appreciated. On whose turn does the fright from a terror dive end? Here are all of the best ways to get drag and drop working correctly on your Mac. There should be a buttonIn the Word Options window click on the Resources option and then click the Diagnose button next to the 'run Microsoft Office Diagnostics' option. Check it out below. If youre having trouble moving the mouse cursor and clicking on files and icons, try changing the speed settings to suit your style. How to select text with touchpad without pressing the "hard" key? 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. Thanks Damien, I was hoping that Zoom would be the culprit but unfortunately it is not. 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. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Check if your mouse or some of your keys are locked or unlocked. Word - Extract picture 'alt text - description', Deleting text of a certain color and the white space before and after - Microsoft Word, If text string exist select cell containing text string, Word Rich Text Content Control and Highlighing, The hyperbolic space is a conformally compact Einstein manifold. He also rips off an arm to use as a sword. Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? Mouse selection has become buggy. Generic Doubly-Linked-Lists C implementation. A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. OnePlus Pad Review: First Trys the Charm? Refresh the Mac's mouse and trackpad files. In my case, I think I've narrowed it down to the hard drive being full and nearly out of space. r/mac on Reddit: Word on MacBook won't allow me to select text, but This method makes a lot more sense for most situations. What is SSH Agent Forwarding and How Do You Use It? I have that setting enabled and can click and drag to select text. captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of Refunds, Move the cursor to Magic Mouse and delete it by clicking on the (X), 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, Left Click and hold to highlight the first word in the line, While still holding move the cursor down to highlight the lines below. My browser text does not have issues either (Safari and/or Firefox). Step 1: Click Go on the menu bar and select Utilities. It can be annoying. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. I believe the problem was either a MacOS problem, or, more likely, an incorrect interaction between Word and MacOS. You dont have to worry about dragging to the exact right spot. Hope it helps :). Some people find drag and drop easier with this setting disabled. (2) keep your finger pressed on the shift button and press the right or left arrow keys. So lets make that easier. 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. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, Did the Golden Gate Bridge 'flatten' under the weight of 300,000 people in 1987? If the central button contact is stuck, the selection in Microsoft Word and Excel doesn't work properly (although it works in other apps, including Powerpoint). Unable to select text in Word for Mac - Microsoft Community This kind of goes away if you press the Win key once. 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. 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. It is not Apple's fault (hopefully). Just yesterday I updated MacOS to 12.5 on my MacBook Pro M1 Pro and now I can select text just fine. 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. Yes - that's true. I have the version 1.5.1 and everything works. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information The double-click selects the full word you have the cursor on, then you can continue to drag the cursor to highlight word by word. 1-800-MY-APPLE, or, Sales and A link to the app was sent to your phone. Back up your Mac and then select Finder > Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library, select Go, and then delete the following six files. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as Managing Editor at XDA-Developers. Can't select text with mouse in Word or Outlook, Synergy prevents click and drag actions in some windows applications. On what basis are pardoning decisions made by presidents or governors when exercising their pardoning power? Office for Mac is very slow and sluggish, and tends to crash often. You are using an out of date browser. Thank you, EricJTx, changing the color solved the problem. (3) once you have highlighted your text, press CTRL + C in order to copy the text. Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. Does the 500-table limit still apply to the latest version of Cassandra? For me the biggest issue was not being able to use the marquee tool in Photoshop. For ex: your NUM LOCK key or your Caps key. There are no sticky keys. Trouble selecting cells or objects with mouse, Re: Trouble selecting cells or objects with mouse. Restarting your computer can fix a variety of problems. The best part is this isnt an exclusive trick for any specific platform. Why do men's bikes have high bars where you can hit your testicles while women's bikes have the bar much lower? I have experienced this too. Adding EV Charger (100A) in secondary panel (100A) fed off main (200A). It looks like a problem with 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. It may take a while to complete the diagnostic tests so be patient. Now hold Shift + Ctrl and press the Left or Right arrow keys. After uninstalling Synergy, this immediately began working again for me. I had the same problem and rebooting did the trick for me. If you have the option, try connecting your mouse to a different USB port to see if this fixes the problem. 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. Little tricks like this can make a world of difference. A forum community dedicated to tech experts and enthusiasts. 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. Cannot select non-contiguous text with the keyboard I am using `Office 2010` (`Professional 14.0.6112.5000 32-bit` on `Windows 7 Pro SP1`).I have uninstalled and re-installed `Office`. omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. You might not have the cursor in the exact right spot to start or you miss the last letter. Drag and drop not working on your Mac? The programs are also very unstable and drain the battery of my 2014 15" Retina MacBook Pro. In excel, I can no longer reliably left click, hold and drag to select a specific range of cells. Edit section. JavaScript is disabled. He writes about Windows 10, Xbox One, and cryptocurrency. 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.