highlighting text not working

Question

Cannot highlight text with the cursor, it just unhighlights as soon as I unclick

Answer 1

Dear @Dr. Roger Russell,

Thank you so much for contacting Microsoft Q&A Support. 

Based on your description, if you are experiencing an issue where you cannot highlight text in Microsoft Word using the mouse cursor and the selection disappears as soon as you release the mouse button. Therefore, I have several workarounds that you check if they work: 

1.Protected View is Enabled: 

Word may open documents in Protected View, preventing editing or highlighting. So, you can go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Protected View, and uncheck all three options related to Protected View. 

Reference:  

• What is Protected View? - Microsoft Support 
• Why can’t I edit this file? - Microsoft Support 

2.Document is Read-Only or Has Editing Restrictions:  

If the document is read-only or has restricted editing, highlighting won't work. Also, check for editing restrictions under Review > Restrict Editing in Word. 

 You can consult information and methods in here: 

• Enable editing in your document - Microsoft Support 
• Why did my file open read-only? - Microsoft Support 

3.Check the Compatibility Mode: older documents may open in Compatibility Mode, which can limit functionality. You can right-click the Word shortcut > Properties > Compatibility tab > Uncheck "Run this program in compatibility mode". 

References:  

• Converting documents to a newer format - Microsoft Support 
• My document title says [Compatibility Mode] - Microsoft Support 

4.Check outdated Microsoft Office: bugs in older versions may cause erratic behavior. You can go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now (if applicable). 

5.Try Safe Mode: 

You can launch Word in Safe Mode to check if an add-in is interfering. Please press Win + R, type winword /safe, and press Enter. 

I hope this information can help you to highlight the text in Word. 

Wish you a pleasant day!

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

Which version of Word do you have? Which version of Windows? If you haven't restarted your computer recently, I suggest you start with that.

Then try the following: Click where the selection should start. Hold the Shift key as you click where you want the selection to end. Press Ctrl+C to copy the content. Try pasting it elsewhere, with Ctrl+V, to see if the correct range is in fact pasted.