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gray box that obscures the text when highlighting/selecting a text (Word for Mac)

Anonymous
2022-08-10T12:58:49+00:00

hello. when i select a text in my document in word there is a gray box that appears and i can't see what's behind it anymore because the bx is opaque. i have scoured the internet for answers and i've found that tons of people are experiencing this and no action or solution has been made yet. i have tried everything that was suggested for me to do and nada. underneath the sentence that i have typed in there, there is a word hello, however you can't see it bc of the big gray box

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | Other | MacOS

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-02-04T10:33:15+00:00

    Jim, on some other Microsoft chat I found the solution that works for me: ditch the latest version of Word and revert to 16.49. It's not that hard for a boomer to do and solves the problem.

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-11-07T16:11:21+00:00

    I've been having the same issue for a while now, I've tried every suggestion that I have seen to fix it (including the ones suggested here). The only thing that has worked for me is quitting word and restarting my computer several times until the grey box stops appearing (it usually takes 2/3 restarts). This doesn't fix it permanently and I still have no idea what is causing it but that's worked a few times for me.

    6 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2022-08-11T07:13:40+00:00

    all of them doesn't work unfortunately. l think i just have to endure this lol

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-08-11T05:15:51+00:00

    Hi Nick,

    The issue is related to highlighted color and you need to remove the highlighted color from the text in word.

    1. Firstly, select the texts in highlight.
    2. Then click “Text Highlight Color” in “Font” group under “Home” tab.
    3. On the drop-down menu, choose “No Color”.

    method 2

    1. Firstly, click “Home”, then “Replace” to open “Find and Replace” dialog box.
    2. Then ensure “Replace” tab is on. Place cursor at the “Find what” text box and click “More”.
    3. Next, click “Format”.
    4. Then click “Highlight”
    5. Now place cursor at “Replace with” text box.
    6. Next repeat step 3 and 4 twice.
    7. Lastly, click “Replace All”

    Methods to Remove Shading If you ae sure the Words are in shading, here are ways to clear.

    Method 1: Choose No Color for Shading

    1. To start with, select text in shading.
    2. Then click “Shading” in “Paragraph” group under “Home” tab.
    3. Next choose “No Color”. Then all shading is gone.

    Method 2: Use Shortcut Earlier, we just mentioned that shading can be a part of a style. So you can remove it by pressing “Ctrl+ Q”. Certainly, you have to select them first. By the way, it can strip other formatting, such as converting auto numbered list to plain text.

    For more information, click on this link to learn more. https://support.office.com/article/1747d808-6db7-4d49-86ac-1f0c3cc87e2e

    Best Regards, Oloduku

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-08-10T13:45:00+00:00

    Hello Nickoetmanuel,

    Thanks for posting in the community

    I understand the issues can be a bit stressing and frustrating. I would like you to check the update of your word and make sure your copy of Office will always be up to date with the latest version.

    You can as well for the link this for update Office for Mac automatically - Office Support (microsoft.com).

    I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please reach back out and I will be more than happy to assist you.

    Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below.

    Thanks

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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