drag and drop

Question

i cannot drop and drag text in word with my mouse, it will not allow me to select text without clicking on a mac

Answer 1

I'm not sure why the AI bot referred to the "Select Text guidance" without bothering to provide it but here it is: Select Text

Follow the link within it for additional text selection methods which you may find to be far more efficient than dragging, especially when selecting large passages.

Answer 2

On macOS, text selection and drag‑and‑drop in Word rely on the same underlying “dragging” service. When dragging stops working, use alternative selection methods and then check macOS trackpad settings.

Use these selection techniques instead of dragging:

1. Keyboard selection
   • Place the insertion point (cursor) where the selection should start.
   • Hold Shift and use the Arrow keys to extend the selection.
   • For larger ranges, use:
     • Shift + Down arrow to select a line.
     • Ctrl + Shift + Down arrow to select a paragraph.
   • These shortcuts are documented under “Select text and graphics” and work even when mouse dragging fails.
2. Mouse selection without drag‑and‑drop
   • Double‑click a word to select it.
   • Triple‑click in a paragraph to select the entire paragraph.
3. Selecting multiple non‑contiguous items (if needed)
   • Select the first block of text with the mouse or keyboard.
   • Hold Ctrl and click/drag to select additional blocks of text. Word supports non‑contiguous selections with the mouse; this is the recommended method when keyboard‑based non‑contiguous selection fails.

If the issue is specifically that the cursor will not start a drag without a click, verify macOS trackpad settings (for example, “Tap to click” and drag options) in System Settings, as Word relies on the OS for drag behavior. When macOS dragging is unreliable, the keyboard‑based selection methods above are the most robust workaround.

For additional selection techniques that are more accurate and efficient than dragging, see the “Select Text” guidance referenced in the moderator answers.

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References:

• Keyboard shortcuts in Word
• Select text
• How to select items that are not next to each other
• Cannot select non-contiguous text with the keyboard
• 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
• How do I select text with a trackpad? - Microsoft Q&A
• Block Text - Microsoft Q&A