"Copy Here" function not working properly for drawn objects.

Question

A few weeks ago (as of 8th Feb 2024), following a Windows Update, the "Copy Here" function for Word's drawn objects (obtained by right-clicking on the object to be copied, dragging it while holding down the right mouse button, then releasing the button gets you into context menu, then select "Copy Here") doesn't copy the object at the cursor position anymore. Instead, it copies the object a few inches above where the cursor currently is. The bug was corrected briefly until another Windows Update came along a few days later that reproduced the error.

Hope you can help because this is a pain in the butt, as I use this feature of Word quite a bit.

I'm using Windows 10 Home, 22H2, OS build: 19045.3930, Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19053.1000.0

Word version: 2401 (Build 17231.20194 Click-to-Run)

I've tried messing around with the options available via the Align menu, via the Shape Format option, but so far this has not helped.

Thanks

Peter

Answer 1

I just tested this in my subscription version of Word (part of Microsoft 365 Apps for business) and I am unable to reproduce the issue in that version as well.

Ctrl key + dragging with the right mouse button displays the context menu with Copy Here and it works as expected.

Answer 2

Hello P Fraser 41,

Thanks for the response.

I appreciate your time and bringing this to our attention. This issue may trigger on word 365 as our MVP Stefan, doesn't have issue in perpetual office 2021. By the way, thanks for your information.

You can visit on this link on how to send feedback so our development team will know about this issue: How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365? - Microsoft Support

Another is to contact our Microsoft live support as they have advanced tools to check and verify your device:

Here are the steps:

• Open this link. Contact Us - Microsoft Support
• It will prompt you to sign in to your personal account where the Microsoft 365 subscription is associated
• After logging into your account. It will ask you to choose a product.
• Choose "Microsoft 365."
• Next, select "Get Home Assistance"
• You need to provide the problem you are having or you can type there.
• At the bottom of the page. Select the "Contact Support" option.
• Select "Microsoft 365 and Office"
• In the Category, you can choose Billing & Payment Updates
• It will ask you to choose a support option. It's up to you if you want to change the locale
• Next, select "Chat with a support agent in your web browser."
• It will automatically direct you to live support.

Hope I was able to provide enough information.

To help other customers searching for help on related issues, please feel free to mark the response you found most helpful by clicking “Yes” on the bottom of that post. This will ensure the helpful responses are most visible when searching (and you can vote more than once if the solution was spread over multiple posts).

Thanks again for choosing Microsoft!

Sincerely,

Prince R

Answer 3

Microsoft Office updates internally, that is, not via Windows Update, which makes it likely that the issue is with the Word installation itself. You can report the issue via Help > Feedback.

Personally, I am running perpetual Office 2021, with the same version number as your subscription, and I am not seeing the issue, which doesn't really prove anything, though. Perpetual licenses do not get exactly the same updates as subscriptions.

Answer 4

Hi Prince R

I've tried everything I can with your suggestions, but to no avail. I have updated Word and I've got the latest Windows Update. I've also tried using a completely different mouse from a different manufacturer, and finally I tried using my other computer, which is running on Windows 11, and the problem exists even with Word on that computer as well. These last two attempts in particular suggest to me that this has to be a Microsoft developer-created bug, either in Windows (10 and 11) and/or with Word. The fact that the problem is reproduceable on a completely different computer running on a different version of Windows with a different mouse seals it, as far as I'm concerned.

I also tried repairing the Office installation via Control Panel, but the option to Change isn't available. I can only uninstall. And as for checking the settings on the mouse, again there's no setting that I can see that would solve this problem and, again, the fact that the problem recurs on different mice and on two different computers almost certainly means that mouse settings isn't the issue. And, besides, I hadn't modified the mouse settings at all before this problem arose.

My domain is @outlook.com, my Windows account is for personal use and my version of Word is Word 365, i.e. part of the Office suite that comes bundled with Windows and which I pay a subscription for. And, yes, this problem happens with all files -- every time I open a new document and start using the drawing objects I get the same problem. I thought maybe it was an issue with the template I was using to create documents that I use with drawn objects, but the problem still occurs even when I use Word's own blank document template. So that isn't the issue either.

Anyway, thanks for your assistance. I guess the only thing I can do now is send feedback to the Microsoft developer team and let them know about the problem.

Peter

Answer 5

Hello P Fraser 41,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

I understand that you have troubles with copy here function in Word application. Just to set your expectations, we have limited tools to check your account, subscription, and service details in the community.

Let me ask you this:

• I'd like to know what @domain and who hosts your email account. Example @domains: Gmail.com, Yahoo.com Outlook.com/Hotmail.com
  • Can I find out if the account is for work/school use or personal use (Hotmail/Outlook.com)?
• May I know your word edition? is it Microsoft 365, 2021,2019, etc?
• Is this happening to all files?

 Let’s troubleshoot this together.

First, I recommend checking if there are any pending updates for Microsoft Word. Sometimes, updating to the latest version can resolve compatibility issues. Here are the steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Go to the File tab.
3. Click on Account (left sidebar).
4. Under Product Information, click on Update Options.
5. Choose Update Now.

If there are any updates available, let Word install them. After updating, restart Word and check if the issue persists.

If the problem continues, you can try the following steps:

1. Repair Office Installation:
   • Close all Office applications.
   • Open Control Panel.
   • Go to Programs and Features (or Add or Remove Programs).
   • Find Microsoft Office in the list, right-click, and choose Change.
   • Select Repair and follow the prompts.
2. Reset Word Settings:
   • Close Word.
   • Press Windows + R, type winword /safe, and hit Enter.
   • Word will open in Safe Mode. Go to File > Options > Advanced.
   • Click on Reset under the Reset section.
   • Restart Word normally.
3. Check Mouse Settings:
   • Sometimes mouse settings can affect drag-and-drop behavior. Ensure that your mouse settings are configured correctly.
4. Test in a New Document:
   • Create a new Word document and draw an object.
   • Try the “Copy Here” function in the new document. Does it work correctly?
5. Check for Windows Updates:
   • Make sure your Windows 10 is up to date. Sometimes system updates can address compatibility issues.

Remember to restart Word after making any changes. If none of the above steps resolve the issue, please do let me know.

Additionally, keep an eye out for future Windows Updates, as they may include fixes for this specific issue. Hopefully, we can get your “Copy Here” function back to normal soon!

Regards,

Prince R

Microsoft Moderator