Select text with mouse

Question

I've been using Word for years, decades really. I have always been able to select text (for editing) by clicking on a word and dragging the mouse to highlight/select all the text i need to edit. I can no longer do this.. all I can do is click once to select 1 word, twice for 2 words and 3 times selects the entire paragraph. A simple task has now become frustrating and complex. Using MS365 on a MacBook Air, Sequoia 15.5. Am I missing some basic setting? Have checked document, not protected.

Answer 1

Restart the Mac first. If that doesn't resolve it please see this existing Answer: Select Text

Follow the link in that Answer to learn of other selection techniques which are significantly more accurate & efficacious than dragging, especially for serious users.

Answer 2

Dear @Sandy Mac,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

Before we proceed further, may I know if you have tried the solution suggested by Mr. Bob Jones in the thread? It would be great to know if that helped.

If the problem still persists, I have several suggestions that you can try to see if they can help:

1.Check Word Preferences: Go to Word > Preferences > Edit and ensure that Drag-and-drop text editing is enabled.

2.Verify Trackpad settings: In macOS System Settings > Accessibilities > Trackpad, enable and confirm that drag options are properly configured.

3.Test in Safe Mode: Boot your Mac in Safe Mode to rule out third-party conflicts. Here’s an official guide: How to use a "clean startup" to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office for Mac

Please note that our support is limited to providing guidance based on official Microsoft documentation. Any third-party resources or references shared are intended solely for informational or consultative purposes. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or continued availability of third-party content, and we recommend exercising discretion when referring to such materials. 

4.If none of these suggestions can help, you can try to uninstall and reinstall your Word app. But you have to reinstall it by downloading Office version from the Microsoft's website, please do not download Office from your MacBook's App Store. (see steps and link below):  

• Go to Applications > select Microsoft Word > Move to Trash. 
• Download Office directly from Microsoft instead. 

You can see this link for more details for it: Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 on a PC or Mac

2.If you have already used Office that downloaded directly from the Microsoft's website: 

You can roll back > Uninstall your current version of Office > Go to the "Update history for Office for Mac" page and download the installer package for a stable older version, such as 16.101, 16.100 or 16.99.  

I hope this information can help you to improve the behavior of the Microsoft Word on your Mac and please feel free to give any feedback in comment section. Wish you a pleasant day!

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