Not able to cut and paste in word

Question

Hi, I am not able to use the cut and copy functions in word, the cut and copy functions have been greyed out and I cannot drag my cursor over sections any longer. I have attempted to resolve this in preferences and lost a half day's work

Answer 1

The AI bot has attempted to paraphrase this existing Answer which explains the typical cause & cure. The link within it also describes a number of alternative professional selection techniques which are far more accurate & efficient than dragging even when dragging works as expected: Select Text

Note that Cut & Copy are always dimmed unless something is selected. Paste isn't optional unless something has been Cut or Copied to the Clipboard.

Answer 2

On Mac, when cut/copy are greyed out and text can’t be dragged to select, the issue is usually with text selection rather than the clipboard itself.

Try these steps in order:

1. Restart Word and macOS
   • Fully quit Word (Word > Quit Word), then restart the Mac.
   • This often clears selection/visual glitches that make highlighting or commands appear broken.
2. Use non-drag selection methods
   • Click at the start of the text, hold Shift, then click at the end of the text to select a range.
   • Use keyboard shortcuts:
     • Move with arrow keys while holding Shift to extend/reduce the selection.
     • Once text is selected, use ⌘+C to copy, ⌘+X to cut, ⌘+V to paste.
   • These methods work even when mouse-drag selection is unreliable.
3. Check that Word is responsive and the document is editable
   • Ensure the document is not protected (e.g., not in a read-only or restricted editing state). In protected documents, cut/copy can be disabled.
   • If the document is from OneDrive/SharePoint, confirm it is checked out or opened with edit permissions.
4. Verify function-key and shortcut behavior (Word for Mac)
   • Word for Mac uses function keys and standard shortcuts for copy/paste. If function keys are involved (for example, if using F2/F3-based selection techniques), ensure macOS keyboard settings allow function keys to act as standard function keys, or press Fn+F-key as needed.
5. Learn alternative selection techniques
   • When dragging fails, use professional selection methods (Shift+click, keyboard selection, etc.), which are more accurate and continue to work even if drag-select is broken at the OS level.

If the problem persists across all documents after a restart, reinstalling or repairing Office for Mac may be required, but first confirm that selection works in other apps (e.g., TextEdit) to rule out a system-wide input issue.

---

References:

• Keyboard shortcuts in Word
• Cursor no longer working on Mac to highlight text in Word - Microsoft Q&A
• I cannot copy text on word. I have a MacBook and I can highlight and copy on every other platform but Word. Any fix or solution? - Microsoft Q&A
• Block Text - Microsoft Q&A